Footloose Montana Proposes "Montana Trap-Free Public Lands Initiative"

Helena, Mont.__Public lands in Montana will become trap-free, if an initiative filed today with the Secretary of State qualifies for the November 2010 general election and is approved by a majority of voters.
The "Montana Trap-Free Public Lands Initiative" would prohibit trapping on public lands in Montana, except for scientific, public health and safety activities. Under the initiative, proposed by the Florence-based group, Footloose Montana, trapping on private lands, which comprise 65 percent of the state, will not be affected.
Dr. Tim Provow, a Footloose Montana board member, hunter, and member of the National Rifle Association, said that most trapping on public lands conflicts with hunting ethics. "The first rule of hunting is to ‘Be Sure of Your Target!,'" Provow said. "Trapping violates this rule by its indiscriminate killing of many species, including endangered, threatened and sensitive species, such as Canada lynx and American bald eagle," he said.
Species targeted by trapping, such as marten and otter, are severely depleted, according to the text of the initiative, while wolverine and fisher are at risk of extinction in Montana. Trapping is a leading cause of the steep declines in these species, the initiative states.
"Trapping does not honor the hunters' ethical code of ‘Fair Chase,' or the time-honored principles of quick and efficient kill," Provow continued. "Tens of thousands of untended, unmonitored traps on public lands lure wild and domestic animals with bait. For every wild furbearer killed, many more non-targeted wild and domestic animals are killed and discarded, in violation of hunting and outdoors ethics," Provow said.
Connie Poten, secretary of Footloose Montana and co-owner of a western Montana Vineyard and Winery, said: "Montana's public land should be safe for all citizens and their pets. Under current law, trappers are able to set an unlimited number of traps, warning signs are not required, and trappers are not required to check their traps in any specific period of time.
"Thousands of camouflaged traps directly endanger adults, children, and pets," Poten said. "Montanans should not have to compromise peace of mind, welfare of children, and pet safety when using public land."
Public lands trapping contributes little to Montana's economy, Poten said. "In Fiscal Year 2008, trapping brought in a total of $94,000 in revenue to the State of Montana. In comparison, over the same fiscal year, hunting generated direct revenue to the state of $45 million and fishing generated direct revenue to the state of $20 million.
"Federal studies show that wildlife watching brought $376 million into Montana in 2006," Poten continued. "If trapping were limited to private land this financial contribution would likely increase as rare species become more abundant and visible on our public lands."
Poten said trappers are currently allowed to trap certain species (such as fox, coyote, and badger) year-round without any regulations at all. Only four species (otter, bobcat, fisher and wolverine), out of the 14 species pursued (beaver, otter, muskrat, mink, marten, fisher, wolverine, weasel, bobcat, fox, coyote, skunk, raccoon and badger) have any quotas. These quotas are determined in the absence of detailed scientific data concerning species populations and how affected species are distributed across Montana, said Poten.
Anja Heister, the group's executive director, said Footloose Montana is organizing local chapters across the state to help gather signatures for the initiative. She said the initiative needs at least 24,400 signatures of registered voters from at least 34 legislative districts, to qualify for the November 2010 general election ballot.
The complete text of the "Montana Trap-Free Public Lands Initiative" is available at: http://www.footloosemontana.org/
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THE TRUTH ABOUT WWF

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Thank you for your visit please find out more about the WWF and take action if you like... dont forget to tell your friends and invite them to discover the truth!
Millions of people have no idea about the WWF they think that they care about animals!!!!! Well they dont!

The WWF was the driving force in pressuring the U..S.. Congress to legislate the screening of chemicals for "endocrine (hormone) disrupting" effects and has subsequently been heavily involved in establishing the framework for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) massive chemical-testing program now under development. . As its Web site points out: "WWF invested substantial resources in the EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee," which "agreed upon a set of tests to form the foundation for the screening and testing program.." What the WWF neglects to mention, however, is that 10 of the 15 recommended screens and tests are animal-poisoning studies, some of which kill hundreds or thousands of animals at a time.. According to scientific estimates, the WWF-backed endocrine testing program will kill up to 1..2 million animals for every 1,000 chemicals tested, and with environmental organizations pressing for tens of thousands of chemicals to be retested under this program, the toll in animal suffering and death will be staggering.. The WWF is also pressuring government agencies in Europe to embark on a similar animal-testing program..

In addition to lobbying for more chemical testing, the WWF has teamed up with Procter & Gamble, S..C.. Johnson, and other chemical companies to create an institute to pursue "basic research" on endocrine disruptors.. On top of this, the WWF is now pushing the U..S.. Congress to pass a bill that would pour additional millions in public funds into endocrine research--much of which would likely be used to fund experiments on animals..

Unfortunately, the "endocrine disruptor" issue is not an isolated example.. The WWF has been a major force in pressuring the European Union to amend its Chemicals Policy to require companies to test and retest as many as 30,000 new and existing chemicals.. The British Institute for Environmental Health estimates that this process will kill upwards of 45 million animals if the standard battery of animal-poisoning tests is used.. The WWF's U..S.. and Canadian offices are also calling for more testing of pesticides, despite the fact that more than 9,000 animals are already killed for each pesticide product on the market.. The organization has called for certain pesticides to be tested for "developmental neurotoxicity" (DNT) using a test that kills upwards of 1,300 animals each time it is conducted.. This test has been heavily criticized by scientists, including the EPA's own Scientific Advisory Panel, which concluded that "the exposure of rat fetus/pups was not shown to be equivalent to human fetus/infant during equivalent stages of brain development" and that "the current form of the DNT guideline is not a sensitive indicator of toxicity to the offspring.." In other words, WWF is calling for thousands of animals to be killed in a test that scientists admit is not relevant to humans!

In its defense, the WWF says that "in the absence of effective, validated alternatives, WWF believes that limited animal testing is needed for the long-term protection of wildlife and people throughout the world.." However, there is nothing "limited" about the massive amount of animal testing that the WWF is endorsing.. Dr.. Joshua Lederberg, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, pointed out in 1981: "It is simply not possible with all the animals in the world to go through chemicals in the blind way we have at the present time, and reach credible conclusions about the hazards to human health.." Now more than 20 years later, millions of animals are still dying in agonizing chemical toxicity tests, and we are no closer to getting dangerous chemicals out of the environment. . In fact, despite killing hundreds of thousands of animals in painful chemical toxicity tests, the EPA has not banned a single toxic industrial chemical in more than a decade!...

The WWF Endorses the Killing of Wild Animals, Too!!!
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) gives special meaning to the word "conservation. ." The organization, founded in 1961 by a group of wealthy trophy hunters, apparently believes that conserving animals means keeping them around long enough for well-heeled "sportsmen" to blast them out of the woods, oceans, skies, plains of Africa, and jungles of Asia.. Past WWF chapter presidents include C..R.. "Pink" Gutermuth, who also served as president of the National Rifle Association, and trophy hunter Francis L.. Kellogg, who is legendary for his massive kills.. In its early days, the WWF even used fur auctions to raise funds...

Since then, the WWF has learned that most people are appalled by hunting and trapping, so today, the organization veils its true stance under phrases like "sustainable development, " arguing that killing is acceptable under some circumstances. . When answering difficult questions about its policy on hunting, trapping, and whaling, the WWF is careful never to state outright that it approves of all these activities.. But don't be fooled, the WWF's intentions are all too clear and deadly!!

Sealing
According to the Web site of the WWF's Canadian office, "WWF is not an animal welfare organization. . We support the hunting and consumption of wild animals provided the harvesting does not threaten the long-term survival of wildlife populations. . WWF has never opposed a sustainable seal hunt in northern or eastern Canada.." However, despite the WWF's portrayal of the situation, the Canadian seal hunt is anything but a "subsistence" hunt--it is the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world.. Quotas established by the Canadian government have soared to an all-time high: 350,000 seals per year for the next three years.. Not since the mid-1800s, when unrestricted slaughter saw a million seals per year killed, has so much blood been shed on the ice off Canada's East Coast...
Worse is that the Canadian government has stated in internal documents that having the WWF's support for any raise in seal quotas is important, and the WWF's position statement suggests that it had been working with the Canadian government before the quota was announced.. In other words, the WWF had the power to help avert the largest quota of harp seal pups in history but chose, instead, to let it happen without so much as a word of opposition!! !

Whaling!!!
While the WWF states that it opposes "commercial whaling," it does support the slaughter of whales by native tribes and under some other conditions.. When asked directly about its policy, WWF is vague, stating: "WWF's views on whether sustainable whaling should be permitted derive from its mission 'to conserve nature and ecological processes and to help build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature..'" In the past, WWF officials have clearly stated that "WWF International has the national WWF organizations behind it in the view that as soon as one can ensure a sustainable commercial harvest of the great whales under secure international control, then whaling will no longer be a WWF concern...."

Sport Hunting!!!
As one would expect of an organization founded by hunters, the WWF does not oppose the slaughter of animals with guns and other weapons for sport.. Rather than working to stop the killing, the WWF believes that hunting should be regulated, arguing that wealthy trophy hunters can bring income to poorer nations.. The WWF claims that it has no power to stop hunting, stating, "The decision to allow trophy hunting is a sovereign one made entirely by the governments concerned. . We will continue to monitor governments' enforcement of important trade laws to ensure that trophy hunting is done within the legal standards of that area...."

Elephants!!!
The WWF believes that culling-another way of saying "killing"-elephants is acceptable, as is the trade in ivory, because the profits that it brings spur governments to keep elephants from going extinct.. In 2000, U..S.. News & World Report reported that WWF representatives traveled to Nairobi to ask the United Nations to lift the ban on the ivory trade in order to allow a "sustainable harvest of ivory for horns and hunting trophies..."

The WWF's bizarre view-that we must kill some animals now in order to save animals to kill later-has proved false time and again.. The trade in ivory has only encouraged rampant poaching, the senseless slaughter of elephants.. The WWF tries to duck the issue by falsely stating, "The decision to cull, or to select animals from the herd for removal or death, is indeed an agonizing choice, but it is one made entirely by the governments concerned and there is no international involvement in those decisions.."

Trapping!!!
As with hunting and whaling, the WWF refuses to condemn the massive killing of animals with steel-jaw leghold traps.. While calling itself a "preservationist" organization that "seek[s] to be the voice for those creatures who have no voice," the WWF stands back from the issue, stating that "the trade in furs, skins, and other products of animals that are not endangered isn't the focus of our campaign.."
But no matter how hard the WWF tries to "greenwash" its support of animal slaughter, its real message rings out loud and clear: Animals are ours to hunt, trap, kill, poison, and use as we see fit.. And although appeals to preserve genetic diversity, ecosystems, and the planet sound good on paper, they mean little if what the WWF is really advocating is more efficient killing fields...

Wolf Hunting!!!
Despite an ongoing international tourist boycott that was called in response to the wolf "control" program in Alaska, in which at least 100 wolves have been shot as of March 2004, the WWF is promoting several trips to Alaska throughout June, July, and August 2004 as part of "WWF Travel," an "ecotourism" program.. When asked why the WWF was sending its members to Alaska, effectively undermining efforts to save wolves in the state, the WWF travel desk representative stated that the WWF did not consider the matter of wolf-killing a priority..

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

Please write to the WWF and express your opposition to its involvement in the slaughter of millions of animals in laboratories. . Let the WWF know that you contribute only to organizations that oppose outdated animal-poisoning tests and that there is no such thing as conservation through killing..

..

James P Leape, Director General WWF-International
Ave du Mont-Blanc
1196 Gland
Switzerland
Fax: 41 22 364 5468
E-Mail: jleape@wwfint. org

Carter S Roberts, President and CEO WWF-US
1250 24th St NW
Washington, DC 20037
Fax: 202- 778-9637
E-Mail: patricia.. gvozdich@wwfus. . org

MJ Russill, President and CEO... WWF-Canada
245 Eglinton Ave E, Ste 410
Toronto, ON M4P 3J1
Fax: 416-489-3611. ..
E-Mail: mrussill@wwfcanada.org...

Elizabeth Salter Green, Head...
European Toxics Programme...
WWF-UK...
Panda House, Weyside Park
Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR
Fax: 011 44 148 342 6409
E-Mail: esaltergreen@wwf.org.uk
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ANIMAL KILLS BY FEDERAL AGENCY MORE THAN DOUBLE

Animal kills by federal agency more than double

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The number of animals poisoned, shot or snared bythe U.S. Department of Agriculture more than doubled last year, andenvironmentalists who are critical of the killings are renewing theireffort to cut the program's funding.
The USDA's Wildlife Services division killed more than 4.9 millionanimals during the 2008 fiscal year, some of them pests that threatencrops. That's more than double the 2.4 million animals killed theprevious year, but the agency contends the increase is due to moreaccurate counting methods.
Wildlife Services, which released the annual death count last week,reported that 90 percent of animals killed in 2008 included crows,blackbirds, magpies and three species of invasive birds: Europeanstarlings, sparrows and pigeons.
Other animals included the nonnative Coqui frog in Hawaii, gray wolvesin the Rocky Mountains and jackrabbits in New Mexico.
Agency spokeswoman Carol Bannerman said the agency is charged byCongress to respond to individuals and government agencies that arehaving problems with wildlife, including invasive and nonnative species.For example, she said the agency killed more than three dozen Gambianrats in Florida last year to ensure that the large rodents would notdamage fruit andvegetable crops.
In other areas of the country, starlings that were eating the feed atdairies were removed. Bannerman said milk production can drop if dairycows are not getting enough protein and that bird droppings can harborbacteria and viruses that can make livestock sick.
Bannerman pointed to a project that began Monday in New York City thatcalls for removing up to 2,000 Canada geese from parks that are within a5-mile radius of John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardiaAirport in an attempt to avoid the type of collision that forced anairliner to have to ditch in the Hudson River in January.
"It's something more than predator management," Bannerman said of theagency's mission.
(2 of 2)
But the environmental group WildEarth Guardians accuses WildlifeServices of "waging a war on wildlife" with taxpayer money. It wasparticularly concerned about the agency's use of the pesticide DRC-1339to kill birds.
Advertisement
"Wildlife Services killed a record number of wildlife, including graywolves, birds and other wildlife at a time when most Americans havedeepened their commitment to conservation," said Wendy Keefover-Ring,the group's carnivore protection director.
The agency said the higher number was reported using a new computermodel to more accurately estimate the number of birds removed fromdairies, feedlots and agricultural fields where they were causing damage.
The modeling method stems from Wildlife Services' efforts to be moreaccurate, accountable and transparent, Bannerman said.
Wildlife Services was criticized in years past for its refusal to postthe annual tally of animal kills until conservation groups remindedagency officials of an earlier federal court ruling requiring the agencyto do so under the Freedom of Information Act.
When it comes to managing problem species, Wildlife Services said itwill try to use non-lethal tactics such as getting local officials toenact no feeding policies at parks or encouraging airport managers tomake their facilities less attractive to wildlife.
But Keefover-Ring argued that the agency has been indiscriminate in itsuse of trapping, shooting and poisoning animals.
"Literally, they are waging a war on wildlife," she said. "Year afteryear, we just rollout these numbers and try to get people to pay attention to what'shappening because they've operated for decades in absolute secrecy."
WildEarth Guardians has been meeting with congressional members in aneffort to take away Wildlife Services' funding for lethal control.
Wildlife Services is funded by the federal government as well as bystates, counties, agriculture groups and private property owners forwhom it protects crops, livestock, golf courses, swimming pools andother property.
Bannerman said the agency's overall budget for 2008 was $120 million,with portions of that going toward research, predator control andprotection of threatened and endangered species.

BOBCATS IN NEVADA THREATENED BY TRAPPING

The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners will meet June 27th, in Lovelock, to establish trapping regulations for bobcats for the next two years. Unfortunately, Nevada wildlife officials have resisted ending trapping “season” to protect this fragile animal. State data suggests Nevada’s bobcat population faces possible collapse from over-trapping. Trapping is also incredibly cruel and should be banned altogether. WHAT YOU CAN DO:*Attend the Saturday, June 27 Commission hearing in Lovelock. Urge wildlife officials to ban trapping of bobcats and all other furbearing animals.Hearing locati on:Lovelock Community Center, 820 6th St., Lovelock, NevadaTime for public comment: 8:30 AM*If you can’t attend the hearing, contact the Nevada wildlife commissioners. Note, the Commission does not have one central email address so you will have to cc all the commissioners at the addresses below. You can also call the Commission chair, Gerald Lent, at (775) 852-4636. Email addresses for Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners:ga.Lent@yahoo. comron.lurie@azcharlie s.comtmcavin@charter. netmichaelkmcbeath@ cox.net

THE NYS HOME RULE TRAPPING BILL IS CLOSER TO BECOMING LAW!

The League of Humane Voters of NYS (LOHV NYS) is pleased to let you knowthat Senator Serrano has AGREED to sponsor the Home Rule Trapping Bill! Thishappened yesterday!!!

HOME RULE TRAPPING BILL:
This bill would allow municipalities to pass trapping bans or trappingrestrictions. In years past, both Rockland and Suffolk Counties' bans wereoverturned by NY State Courts in proceedings brought by the NYS DEC .

Senator Serrano readily agreed to become the Senate sponsor of AssemblymanEnglebright's excellent bill: A04777, which had been without a Senatesponsor and Senate bill number until yesterday. Further excellent news isthat Senator Serrano is on the Environmental Conservation Committee, wherethe bills are now!!!!

The Senate Bill number is S05423, and the text of the bill is below - followlink:
http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi and enter the bill number.

Now that there is an Assembly Bill and a corresponding Senate Bill, and bothbills have been referred to their respective EnvironmentalConservation(Encon) Committee, IT'S IMPERATIVE TO CONTACT THE FOLLOWINGLEGISLATORS:

Chair of the Senate Encon Committee: Senator Antoine Thompson (Buffalo)Contact information for Senator Thompson is:
http://www.nyssenate60.com/60/Contact.aspx
Chair of the Assembly Encon Committee: Assemblyman Robert Sweeny ofLI(Suffolk) Contact information for Assemblyman. Sweeny is:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=011<http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=011&sh=con> &sh=con

Both of these legislators MUST PASS THE BILL OUT OF THEIR COMMITTEE in orderfor it to get it to the floor for a vote this session.
PLEASE CONTACT THEM TO LET THEM KNOW OF YOUR SUPPORT. IF YOU KNOW ANYconstituents IN THEIR DISTRICTS please forward this post to them and let usknow who they are.

To THANK Senator Serrano for becoming the Senate sponsor of the Home ruletrapping bill: http://www.nyssenate28.com/28/Contact.aspx
To THANK Assemblyman Englebright for sponsoring it in the Assembly - contactinformation: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=004<http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=004&sh=con> &sh=con

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BAN CANNED HUNTING BILL
Please also urge the same Encon Committee chairs ABOVE to pass the CannedHunting bills out of committee and to the floor.

These bills are:
S3223 sponsored by Senator Carl Kruger - contact information:
http://www.nyssenate27.com/27/Contact.aspx
A06788 - sponsored by Assemblymember Deborah Glick - contact information:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=066<http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=066&sh=con> &sh=con

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DISSECTION NOTIFICATION WITHIN BROADER BILL:
To see the text, link to: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A03467

A3467 sponsored by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal Contact info.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=067<http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=067&sh=con> &sh=con
S3751 - sponsored by Senator Thomas Duane contact information:
http://www.nyssenate29.com/29/Contact.aspx

Both bills are in their respective Education Committee - PLEASE CONTACT THECHAIRS AND ASK THEM TO PASS THESE BILLS OUT OF COMMITTEE Chair Assembly:Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan contact info:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=037
Chair Senate - Senator Suzi Oppenheimer Contact information:
http://www.nyssenate37.com/37/Contact.aspx

LOHV NYS continues to work on other NYS bills this session and will keep youposted.

Feel free to contact us for further information. Check out www.lohv.org andlink to issues to see fact sheets on the above bills.


We are grateful for all of your efforts on behalf of animals.

Peter Muller
Chair, LOHV NYS
The League of Humane Voters NYS
877-lohv-us-7

CRYING SHAME-VIDEO REALITIES OF TRAPPING!

Watch this video on YouTube to see the realities of trapping... Please
distribute widely!

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=VIVmVMraR3I

Just in case you wonder how Furbearer-Defenders got the footage:

The trapping footage was donated to Furbearer Defenders by a former trapper,
who was frustrated and upset with the cruelty he witnessed day after day on
the registered traplines. He gave them the footage in the hope that the
public would see the cruel truth behind fur products and realize the
importance of their purchasing decisions.






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