Our New Action Website for Wolf Lovers 

The fight to save America’s wolves is in a critical phase — which is why your help is so important.

Since the Trump administration stripped federal protection from gray wolves last year, states now control whether wolves are protected or hunted. While California and Colorado recently celebrated the discovery of new wolf residents, some states — including Wisconsin, Idaho and Montana — have rushed to create ways to kill more wolves, faster. 

The Center for Biological Diversity and allies are challenging the slaughter on every legal front. But right now wolves need everyone. So we’ve created a “one-stop shop” to make it easy to join the battle to save them.

Our campaign website, Save Our Wolves, provides actions, toolkits and resources to help you help wolves. Bookmark it, learn more, take action, share it widely and check back often — we’ll be updating the site with new ways to make a difference.

Wolves’ future hangs in the balance. We can’t let ruthless persecution and backward policies ruin more than 40 years of wolf recovery. Check out the new site and help save wolves by giving to our Predator Defense Fund now.

Protect Your Pets From These Dangerous Flea Collars

Seresto flea and tick collars have been linked to the deaths of nearly 1,700 pets and the suffering of tens of thousands more, as well as harm to human health. After the Center filed a legal petition earlier this year to cancel the collars’ approval, the Environmental Protection Agency finally took action — after ignoring the complaints for almost a decade.

The agency is now seeking comments from the public on whether it should immediately suspend Seresto collars while it considers our petition.

Flea and tick collars are supposed to kill disease-carrying pests, not the pets who wear them. Take action now: Urge the EPA to take these collars off the market.

In Oregon, a Win for a Rare Seabird

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission just approved a petition by the Center and allies to give marbled murrelets more protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The 4-3 decision comes after a judge ruled that the commission broke state law by approving, then denying our petition without explanation in 2018 — a reversal that followed pressure from the timber industry.

“These birds face serious threats in Oregon from climate change, ocean warming, wildfire, and unchecked logging of their nesting habitat. They should have been protected as endangered years ago,” said Quinn Read, the Center’s Oregon policy director.

Congress Must Pass the Save Oak Flat Act

Defending one of Arizona’s most precious places from destruction by a multinational mining corporation, the Center and more than 100 allies are calling on Congress to pass the Save Oak Flat Act. Introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the House bill would overturn approval of a sneakily passed land exchange to trade away Oak Flat — or Chi'Chil'Ba'Goteel to the Apache — to build a massive, polluting copper mine.

For centuries this sacred Apache site, in the Tonto National Forest east of Phoenix, has been a place for religious and coming-of-age ceremonies and to gather medicinal plants and acorns from its majestic oaks. It also harbors endangered species like the Arizona hedgehog cactus and ocelot.

If you haven’t already, take action to speak up for Oak Flat now.

Southeastern Fish Gets 517 Protected River Miles

After almost 20 years of Center advocacy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has protected 517 river miles in 13 Mississippi counties as critical habitat for the Pearl darter. This small, snub-nosed fish was pushed out of 64% of its historic habitat by water pollution from oil and gas development, urbanization, agriculture and more. We petitioned for Endangered Species Act protection in 2004; after we sued in 2010, the foot-dragging Service finally protected the fish in 2017. Critical habitat offers more much-needed safeguards.

“Freshwater animals are at the leading edge of the extinction crisis,” said Center biologist Tierra Curry. “Protecting rivers and streams for the Pearl darter will save this special little fish and improve water quality for other stream-dwelling critters — and for humans, too.”

Our Suit to Save Fish From the Aquarium Trade

For decades commercial aquarium fish collectors plundered Hawaiian waters for small reef fish, exporting them to wholesalers and retailers across the continental United States. After the Center and allies sued, in 2017 that trade was halted pending environmental review.

Unfortunately, state wildlife officials have just rubber-stamped an error-riddled study written by the aquarium industry. This will lead to the illegal reopening of the aquarium fish trade — so we’ve sued again to protect the beauty and abundance of West Hawai‘i’s coral reefs.

Op-Ed: ‘Ecocide’ Should Be an International Crime

Along with other large-scale, far-reaching crimes, writes the Center’s Tanya Sanerib at The Hill, “ecocide” — acts that destroy nature, such as the deforestation of the Amazon — should be prosecutable by the International Criminal Court. A panel of 12 lawyers recently recommended the ICC add ecocide to the four other classes of criminal violations it already defines: war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and genocide. Here’s hoping the Court pays attention.

Win for Bull Trout: Idaho Development Blocked

In response to a notice of intent to sue by the Center and local allies, the Fish and Wildlife Service just reversed its OK of a new marina on Idaho’s beautiful Lake Pend Oreille near Trestle Creek, where protected bull trout spawn. As Center lawyer Kristine Akland declared, “This project threatens one of Idaho’s most sensitive, precious freshwater fishes.”

Agreeing that harm to the area has already affected bull trout, the Service asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start over on consultation under the Endangered Species Act and reconsider how its marina — with 124 boat slips plus five mansions — could hurt threatened trout.

So Far, Global Biodiversity Plan Lacks Ambition

An important draft document on how the world community will sustain a healthy planet was released Monday. But that document — a “framework” being set up by the group of 196 entities that have ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, which sadly doesn’t include the United States — fell far short of what’s needed: It didn’t call for a halt to species extinctions.

The global framework is scheduled to be adopted at the meeting of the Convention in Kunming, China. But before then the parties will meet virtually to negotiate the next draft.

“All hope rests on the virtual negotiations,” said Tanya Sanerib, our international legal director. “Right now the road to Kunming is blocked by a lack of ambition. But I have faith we can overcome the obstacles and set our sights on saving life on Earth.”

The Revelator: Seahorses At Risk

Seahorses are some of the most interesting animals of the deep — and could also be in deep trouble. But if we understand their extinction risks, researchers say, these charismatic animals could serve as a flagship species for ocean conservation.

Read more in The Revelator. And if you haven’t already, sign up for the free weekly e-newsletter.

That’s Wild: Some Meth Users Are Fish

Many drugs, flushed down the toilet in human waste or otherwise, end up in our waterways — including methamphetamines, which a new study shows may get fish hooked.

Since fish have nervous systems similar to humans’, the study says, those living in polluted streams may develop a preference for meth-spiked water. Specifically, researchers found, brown trout seem to go through withdrawal when it’s taken away.

More work is needed on how the dangerous cocktails in our rivers — including legal drugs and other chemicals — may be affecting fish and their ecosystems. In the meantime, just say no to drug flushing (oh, and meth too).

Follow Us

Center for Biological Diversity | Saving Life on Earth

This message was sent to [email protected].

Opt out of mail list.   |    View this email in your browser.

Donate now to support the Center's work.

Photo credits: Gray wolf and pup by ML/Unsplash; puppy in flea collar by Brittany Howard/Flickr; marbled murrelet by Robin Corcoran/USFWS; Oak Flat courtesy Elias Butler; Pearl darter courtesy Conservation Fisheries; yellow tangs by Kaikea Nakachi; Amazon rainforest deforestation by Ibama/Wikimedia; bull trout courtesy USFWS; Earth courtesy NASA; shortsnout seahorse by Brian Gratwicke; brown trout courtesy USFWS.

Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States