CURRENT NEWSLETTER

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT FURTHER WEAKENED

In addition to revoking protections for endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico, which I wrote about in my last newsletter, several new changes to the Endangered Species Act have been implemented, weakening it even further.

The definition of what constitutes “harm” in The Endangered Species Act has been drastically reduced. It no longer includes habitat loss and destruction, the biggest cause of species extinction. Now it only includes direct harm to a specific animal, such as shooting it.

In addition, the so-called “blanket rule” has been stripped from the Act. This rule provided protection to imperiled species listed as threatened, making it illegal for people to kill, trap, or harass imperiled species while the US Fish and Wildlife Service figured out what specific steps the species needed to recover.

Often the process of developing species-specific plans takes many years, sometimes decades. Without the blanket rule protections in place, species can die out while awaiting recovery plans.

Photo of wolverine by Kristen O Karlsen on Unsplash

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE

The North Atlantic right whale is a baleen whale that lives primarily in Atlantic coastal waters. They are surface skimming whales and like to socialize together at the water’s surface. Nearly driven extinct by whalers by the 19th century, they are currently listed as critically endangered and have never recovered their numbers. Today they are at risk from vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Human-caused ocean noise interferes with their communication.

Less than 380 remain, with only around 70 reproducing females.

In order to reduce whale mortality from entanglements, fishing gear regulations need to be enacted. A rider was attached to the 2022 budget bill, delaying action on fishing gear until 2028. Since then, more than 30 North Atlantic right whales have been caught, injured, or killed. Now the House has passed H.R. 9436, which would allow this rider to continue through 2035. This delay could very well spell extinction for the North Atlantic Right Whale.

The bill is currently with the Senate.

You can help these whales by writing to your senators, encouraging better fishing practices, and driving boats slowly when you see spouts — “See a spout? Watch out.”

Photo: Researchers sighted right whale Catalog #2413 and calf four miles off Ponte Vedra Beach, FL on December 16, 2012. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #15488

GREEN TIP

NO ACTION REQUIRED ON THIS GREEN TIP!

It’s fall! And as I’ve mentioned before, one powerful thing you can do for wildlife requires absolutely no effort on your part!

And that is to leave the leaves.

A layer of fallen leaves provides insulation, shelter, and food for a number of species including butterfly caterpillars, pollinating bees, turtles, toads, mammals, and more. This insulating layer helps wildlife survive through the cold winters.

Plus the leaves provide natural fertilization and will suppress weeds, making any gardener’s job easier.

And there are other environmental benefits, too. Raked leaves account for 13% of the U.S.’s solid waste in landfills. Because trash is compacted in landfills, it means there isn’t enough oxygen for the leaves to decompose naturally. Consequently, those leaves instead just give off methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

And just think…you won’t have to do all that raking! You can just gaze out of your window, sipping hot chocolate, and watch the gorgeous leaves fall. (Or you can always clear a section of your yard for recreation or entertaining and leave the leaves in the rest.)

You can read more about the benefit of this practice here.

Photo by Annie Nyle on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

LEWIS & CLARK CAMERA TRAP SURVEY

Want to explore along the historic trail forged by the Corps of Discovery Expedition? Now you can do so from the comfort of your own home and help wildlife in the process!

Volunteers are needed to examine remote camera footage to identify wildlife species currently present along the trail. You simply look at a sequence of photos, ID the animal and what it’s doing.

It’s a simple process you can do over the internet.

You can spend as much or as little time as you have available, and will be doing your part to document modern biodiversity and see how America’s wildlife and landscapes have changed since Lewis & Clark forged their way across the West.

Click here for more information.

Photo of elk by Alice Henderson