The National Wolfwatcher Coalition supports this campaign. Here is an alert from Sierra Club which explains the situation in Michigan and how registered Michigan voters can help! Help Us Protect Wolves, Democracy in Michigan! In a huge success for the Endangered Species Act, Gray Wolves recovered in sufficient numbers to warrant removal from the Endangered Species List in 2012. In the 18 months since then, the Michigan legislature, Natural Resources Commission (NRC), and anti-environmental groups have acted twice to thwart the rights of people concerned about wolves. In late 2012, the legislature named wolves a game species, a move that would allow hunting, and groups including Sierra Club successfully gathered enough petition signatures in a ballot initiative to place the matter before voters. We did so because the rationale given for the hunt was scientifically invalid, and we felt Michigan voters deserved a say in the matter. In response, the legislature acted at the behest of groups that feared Michigan citizens might not vote the way they wanted and circumvented the voter initiative by giving the NRC--an appointed, not elected body--the power to name game species. The NRC promptly did just that in early 2013 and created a hunting season for wolves. This effectively nullified the voices of the 235,000 citizens who had signed the ballot initiative petitions. It also nullified the opportunity of all Michigan citizens to vote on the matter. For these reasons, Sierra Club supports a new, second petition drive (action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=kcGqQdW9DXSU-lpXj-Fb-g ) to overturn the law allowing the NRC to enact a wolf hunting season. Sierra Club volunteers are encouraged to sign these petitions and help circulate them. Visit keepwolvesprotected or contact them directly at info@keepwolvesprotected or 517-993-5201 to get a signature collection packet. NOTE: Beware of a group called Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management and a petition they are circulating! If they gather enough signatures, they plan on using a legal maneuver to prohibit Michigan citizens from ever voting on the wolf matter. If you support basic democratic principles, dont sign these petitions! We believe Michigan voters should not be denied the opportunity to decide whether or not wolves should be hunted.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 22:25:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015