The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has just announced proposed changes to existing policies for the National Wildlife Refuge System focused on improving the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of these lands.
While this is a great first step in ensuring that the National Wildlife Refuge System protects and preserves wildlife and ecosystems, their proposed revisions do not include restrictions on the use of lethal wildlife control methods (including cruel traps and poison/toxicants) that can severely injure, maim, traumatize, and kill wildlife, humans, and companion animals. These lethal wildlife control methods threaten the wellbeing of millions of animals and humans every day.
Their proposed revisions do not include restrictions on the use of lethal wildlife control methods (including cruel traps and poison/toxicants) that can severely injure, maim, traumatize, and kill wildlife, humans, and companion animals.
These lands should provide safe havens for the animals that call them home and the people and companion animals that use them to recreate. In addition to the millions of animals who fall victim to lethal animal control methods each year, thousands of nontargeted animals and companion animals also encounter these indiscriminate, highly damaging, and torturous methods of animal control when numerous nonlethal and humane alternatives are readily available.
With many of the targeted animals, including wolves and mountain lions, already experiencing decreasing population trends due to the negative effects from global climate change and human influence, we must do everything we can to protect these fragile animal populations before it is too late.
The comment period for this proposal is now closed.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Devan
