“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need,

But not enough for every man’s greed.”

Gandhi

How pathetic our nation has truly now become

To Special Interest Groups our leaders do succumb

Trophy sport hunters and cattle ranchers contribute huge funds

Alas, the Rocky Mountain wolf and his family have absolutely none

Twelve years ago they were re-introduced on Yellowstone Park land

Now, they face extermination since our leaders find only money grand

As I write this, wolf pups are being born in America’s remaining wild places

Soon they’ll be exterminated, since only money brings politicians happy faces

Wolf-opponents in both the federal government and in the state governments of Idaho and Wyoming are now teaming up to kill the vast majority of America’s remaining Rocky Mountain wolves.

Even the wolves of Yellowstone Park will be shot on sight if they leave the relative safety of the park.  And I doubt very seriously that these wolves know where the exact borders of the park are.

Over 1,000 American bison were gunned down when they wandered outside park boundaries just last year.

And because of special interest group influence and huge monetary contributions, our government leaders are now removing (de-listing) wolves from the Endangered Species Act, even as officials in Idaho and Wyoming are finalizing their plans to kill hundreds of these wolves.

At a rally earlier this year at the Idaho State Capitol, hundreds of wolf opponents showed up to hear Governor C.L. Otter promise that the state would kill more than 500 wolves after this government de-listing occurs, and he was heard to proclaim, “I’m going to bid for the first ticket to shoot a wolf myself!”

The Idaho legislature then voted to allow permits to kill wolves to be sold for only $9.75.

To make matters worse, the aptly described Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition has now begun a new petition drive to eliminate all wolves from the state of Idaho.

The group’s leader said he doesn’t care if the wolves are shot or poisoned; he just wants them to disappear from Idaho - forever.

Wyoming’s wolves - including those that wander outside Yellowstone National Park - are also now in jeopardy.  That state also plans to kill most of the wolves within its borders.

And very sadly to me, on March 12^th, the federal government returned management of timber wolves in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to state officials.  This means that timber wolves will now be hunted down in my beloved northwood as well.

And, horrendously, the new Governor of Alaska is now permitting wolves to be gunned down by both airplane and by helicopter, in an effort to make more moose and caribou available to high paying trophy hunters.

Anyone interested in at least attempting to save America’s remaining wolves before they are all slaughtered should write to their legislators, and to the White House, immediately.

Throwing a few bucks into the envelope might help a little, too.  It seems that our politicians these days have a far different perception of ‘green,’ than many of us do.

 "If We Keep Going,

At The Pace We Are Going,

Greed Will Be Our End."

Jacques Cousteau