September 25, 2023

An Ignorant and/or Biased Federal Judge, Fake Red Wolves, and the Endangered Species Act

November 12, 2018 by Leave a Comment

According to the Washington Post, a federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) cannot shoot and kill a protected species listed as an Endangered Species. Such is the case in the Southeast and the so-called red wolf.

It’s a long, long story and I’m willing to wager a grand sum of money that the federal judge making the ruling either has no actual knowledge of this sordid history of fake red wolves or, in fact, has all the knowledge necessary to carry out the instructions of the USFWS in order to get their asses out of the hot water they have put themselves in.

The so-called red wolf is not a real wolf at all. As a matter of fact, most honest scientists will tell you that there never was such a thing as a red wolf. What is certain is that whatever the semi-wild dog is that the USFWS illegally dumped onto private property in North Carolina, is not a wolf of any kind.

Two issues were revealed over time. One, that the red wolf was fake, and two, the USFWS broke the law when they willingly and knowingly placed these fake dogs on private land – an action, under the pretenses of how the “introduction” took place, violates the Endangered Species Act.

To further complicate matters, the USFWS attempted to abandon the “recovery” effort of fake red wolves and as such ruled that the feral dogs could be shot on sight – and thus the lawsuit that resulted in the judge ruling this couldn’t be done.

There really are only three possibilities how this could happen. First, the possibility that the judge is a fool and knows nothing about the history of this red wolf undertaking and is completely ignorant of the Endangered Species Act. Second, the judge doesn’t really care about any rules or laws and simply wants to side with environmentalists and animal rights groups and grant them whatever they wish. Or third, as part of the corrupt rigged system we slaves are subjected to, the judge is only carrying out the desires of the Federal Government to do whatever is necessary to remove blame from the USFWS for their blatant disregard of their own laws. With this ruling, the USFWS can shrug their shoulders and claim there’s nothing they can do because the Courts have ruled…

Of course, this action is nothing new. It’s been going on since before the first “reintroduction” of wolves anywhere in the U.S. The Federal Government, the Environmentalist and Animal Rights perverts and the Courts all working in unison within a rigged system.

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Filed Under: Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, National/World, Predators Tagged With: , ,

Hocus Pocus Voodoo Science: Proposed Replacement of the Regulations for the Nonessential Experimental Population of Red Wolves

August 11, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The purpose of the proposed action is to incorporate the most recent science and lessons learned related to the management of red wolves to implement revised regulations that will better further the conservation of the red wolf. We propose to establish a more manageable wild propagation population that will allow for more resources to support the captive population component of the red wolf program (which is the genetic fail safe for the species); serve the future needs of new reintroduction efforts; retain the influences of natural selection on the species; eliminate the regulatory burden on private landowners; and provide a population for continued scientific research on wild red wolf behavior and population management.<<<Read More>>>

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Proposed Replacement of the Regulations for the Nonessential Experimental Population of [Fake] Red Wolves in Northeastern North Carolina

June 28, 2018 by Leave a Comment

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to replace the existing regulations governing the nonessential experimental population designation of the red wolf (Canis rufus) under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act, as amended. We request public comments, and announce a public information session and public hearing, on this proposed rule. In addition, we announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment on the proposed replacement of the existing nonessential experimental population regulations for the red wolf. In conjunction with this proposed action, we are initiating consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and completing a compatibility determination pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997. We propose this action to ensure our regulations are based on the most recent science and lessons learned related to the management of red wolves. If adopted as proposed, this action would further conservation of red wolf recovery overall by allowing for the reallocation of resources to enhance support for the captive population, retention of a propagation population for future new reintroduction efforts that is influenced by natural selection, and provision of a population for continued scientific research on wild red wolf behavior and population management. This action would also promote the viability of the nonessential experimental population by authorizing proven management techniques, such as the release of animals from the captive population into the nonessential experimental population, which is vital to maintaining a genetically healthy population.<<<Read More>>>

*Note* – A person who lives in North Carolina and has been very active in fighting this abomination of the Endangered Species Act for many years now, had the following comment about this latest action published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I can’t say just how much I agree with his comments as history has shown those who pay attention that this is a set up to profit the Environmentalists in their pursuit of “sue and settle” tactics.

“Well, this is just a sue and settle setup by the Feds.  It will be sort of like “put and take” quail hunting.  USFWS will release fake [wolves], who will then cross the refuge property line only to be shot.  Adjoining landowners will likely even sell guided trophy red [wolf] hunts. At this point DOW, RWC and SELC will walk into the Federal court room before Judge Boyle and he will then grant this fake [wolf] the full protection of endangered status throughout our State.  This is a very shallow and short lived win for us.  The greenies still rule our USFWS…   This is a set up.”

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Red Wolf Criminal Enterprise Appears to Remain Unchanged

May 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Man-government is a nonsustaining, useless and corrupt entity that destroys whatever it lays its hands to. Government epitomizes insanity – rinse and repeat. Our insanity comes from thinking we can change it.

But, perhaps it’s partly the blame of a dysfunctional Trump Administration that seems to screw up whatever it lays its hands to, along with the fact that within its dysfunction, Trump’s appointment of Ryan Zinke as head of the Interior Department, can’t seem to get off his lazy backside and announce his pick to head up the Fish and Wildlife Service. After all, it’s been over 4 months and counting. Is it at all possible a real leader at the USFWS wouldn’t even be making such ridiculous proposals at an absurd time like this? Don’t hold your breath.

One thing has become clear to those willing to take off their fake blinders and examine truth, is that Trump cannot and will not keep any of his campaign promises (lies) – but he is no different in that regard than any crooked politician who came before him – that the ALL are crooked. It is a requirement of the position. It has not yet become obvious to his supporters that his works to this point in time are all blather. He talks a big talk and achieves nothing. People don’t even read his Executive Orders and if they do, they can’t understand them. If he’s so mighty, what has changed? I’m thinking nothing has changed and nothing will change, although there was some hope, which is now rapidly waning, soon to be replaced by business as usual and how do we get through 4 or 8 years of thugs and gangsters? Rinse and repeat.

Evidently it is business as usual at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) where babysitters are sucking on their pacifiers and carrying out the corrupt work that preceded them. Talk the talk but then blow it off. An example of such is what to do about the fake Red Wolves?

The USFWS is proposing making some changes to the “10j” rule of the Endangered Species Act in order to do something to change the management strategy of trying to grow a fake red wolf and perpetuate it.

The proposal – or more accurately a request for comments in order to draw up a draft proposal – can be found at this link. Below I have included the portion of the request that contains the USFWS’s options and what they are leaning toward implementing.

In their background information, of course it is fraught with lies. As an example it reads that the USFWS made sure that any “red wolves” that drifted off government land was removed. We know that never happened and as a matter of fact there’s pretty good evidence the criminals at the USFWS knowingly released and/or relocated “red wolves” on private land, which was an illegal act. However, anyone should understand by now that the U.S. Government places themselves above the laws we citizen slaves are expected to follow.

In the proposal it appears the USFWS wants to grow more fake mongrel “red wolves” in “zoos and private” wolf sanctuaries to keep beefing up the population and creating “genetic diversity” among existing fake red wolves. The liars at the USFWS say their management plans will protect further “hybridization” of red wolves and coyotes. They can never do this with the plans they are formulating, and it doesn’t much matter because what they are perpetuating is nothing but semi wild mongrel dogs. Is it that government is that stupid or do they think all of us are stupid enough to think we will never know the difference? I put my money on the latter.

But what’s difficult to understand, but not from a criminal’s mindset, is how the USFWS can, with a straight face, even be considering any proposal for a change of management of red wolves when the U.S. Attorney General’s Office has documentation that proves that the USFWS knew the “red wolves” they were growing and fostering weren’t even red wolves at all? Last I knew, the Attorney General’s office was demanding some answers. (I can’t help but laugh.) This sounds like a corrupt attempt at enhancing the corrupt red wolf program as much as possible before any decisions are made, or that the USFWS, like all government agencies, don’t give a rats ass about laws, rule of law or what, if anything, the U.S. Attorney General’s office will or won’t do. It’s one big fraternity that’s part of the giant rigged system. It will NEVER change.

In addition to all of this, new studies and science – difficult to know if any of it is real – suggest that there never existed any such “subspecies” of red wolf in the first place.

BUT DON’T GO LOOK!

For more information on the evidence to suggest the USFWS knew their red wolves were fake and the non existence of red wolves, use this link and this link. For lots of links to information about the history of red wolves in North Carolina, follow this link.

Proposed Action and Possible Alternatives

In 2013, acknowledging growing concerns from private landowners regarding management of the NEP, the Service and North Carolina Resources Commission entered into a broad canid management agreement, recognizing steps were needed to improve management of the population. Subsequently, the Service contracted an independent evaluation of the NEP project in 2014 and of the entire red wolf recovery program in 2015. From these evaluations, it became clear that the current direction and management of the NEP project is unacceptable to the Service and all stakeholders.

As a result of the findings from the evaluations, the Service is considering a potential revision of the 1995 NEP final rule. Risks of continued hybridization, human-related mortality, continued loss of habitat due to sea level rise, and continued population decline are high and have led to poor prospects for the NEP. Further, the most recent PVA indicates that the viability of the captive population is below and declining from the original recovery plan diversity threshold of 90 percent and could be enhanced by breeding captive wolves with wolves from the NEP project area. Therefore, the Service is considering whether the NEP should be managed with the captive population as one meta-population, whereby individuals could be moved not only from captivity into the wild but also from the wild into captivity. Incorporating the NEP into a meta-population with the captive population will increase the size of the population and introduce the natural selection occurring in the NEP back into the captive population. Therefore, the Service is proposing to change the goal of the current NEP project from solely that of establishing a self- sustaining wild population to a goal of also supporting viability of the captive wolves of the red wolf breeding program (proposed action). Maintaining a wild population fully integrated with the captive wolves also will: (1) Allow for animals removed from the wild to support the necessary expansion of current and future wild reintroduced populations and to improve the genetic health of the captive-breeding program; (2) preserve red wolf natural instincts and behavior in the captive population gene pool; and (3) provide a population for continued research on wild behavior and management.

The proposed revision would recognize that the size, scope, and management of the NEP will be focused on maintaining a wild population on Federal lands within Dare County, North Carolina and on protecting the species by increasing the number and genetic diversity of wolves in captivity. These revisions will allow removal of isolated packs of animals from non-Federal lands at the landowners’ request, incorporation of these animals into the wild/captive metapopulation, and better management of the remaining wild animals in accessible areas to minimize risks of hybridization. Management of wolves occupying Federal lands in Dare County will include population monitoring, animal husbandry, and control of coyotes and hybrids.

The proposed revision would authorize the movement of animals between the captive and wild populations in order to increase the number of wolves in the captive-breeding program and maintain genetic diversity for both captive and wild wolves. This means the captive wolves and the NEP will be managed as one single meta-population.

The draft environmental review under NEPA will consider consequences of a range of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. We have identified several management alternatives for the NEP:

(1) Maintain the NEP project in its current state. In other words, we would make no revisions to the current 10(j) rule.

(2) Publish a rule eliminating the NEP project. Under this alternative, the red wolves found in the wild would retain their status as a federally listed “endangered” species under the Act.

(3) Revise the existing NEP. We may consider revisions to the current 10(j) rule that vary from the proposed action.

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USFWS in Very Hot Water Over False ESA Protections of Hybrid Red Wolves

January 12, 2017 by 4 Comments

Click to enlarge photograph if necessary.

Finally, what appears to be some action on this biological catastrophe and a complete bastardization of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Some of us have known for a long time that the wild, mongrel dog that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) perpetuated and placed in portions of North Carolina, under a program we were told was to “restore” red wolves to their native range, was a lie. Apparently the U.S. Attorney General’s Office has documentation that the USFWS knew that the animal they were using was not a red wolf, but presented as such, which is a violation of the ESA.

The USFWS has filed criminal charges against citizens for allegedly harming a “protected” species, as well as levying fines, etc., knowing full well the animal was not a legally protected species. The U.S. Attorney General wants all such cases vacated and all costs for damages, fines, etc. reimbursed to those victims.

This can only come as a huge victory to those in North Carolina who have fought for years to get this travesty brought to justice.

Perhaps this will start the ball rolling to investigate the fake Mexican wolf and the laws that were broken by many people when gray wolves in Canada were trapped and illegally transported to the U.S. for introduction, bringing with them diseases. The money used for the wolf introduction in the Yellowstone Region was stolen from Pittman-Robertson Excise Tax. This act has never been investigated and prosecuted. Maybe it’s time.

For more information on this subject, readers can visit this website.

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Mass Creation of Red Wolf Automatons

January 9, 2017 by 4 Comments

This morning Jim Beers shared some of his thoughts in a brief email exchange. I’ll attempt to further encapsulate his pithy thoughts.

Beers was referencing an article that attempted to address the difficulties wildlife managers in Canada are having with creating a “delicate balancing act” between protecting the gray wolf and saving a rapidly dwindling woodland caribou herd. In the article, the author writes this: “It’s not that one species is being given preference over another, said Environment and Parks regional resource manager Dave Hervieux, but controlling wolves is imperative to the survival of the caribou population.”

I took the liberty to highlight the portion of the above quote that Beers takes issue with when he says, “This quote from the article is an absolutely sterling example of how far our language is being corrupted by government and radical groups.  It is clear when racial crimes of religion-based terror occur that the media, the police, the government use all sorts of evasions and wordsmithing to mask the truth and create a lie, for instance Benghazi being “caused by a video” (that no one had seen).”

If I might further clarify what I believe he was saying, the statement is avoiding the truth. It is not true to say that one species is NOT given preference over the other. The truth is, one species IS being given preference and to deny this fact does no good at all – it masks the truth to create a lie.

He goes on to give other examples of how manipulating words creates a lie out of truth. Argument can be made as to whether this “manipulation” of words is deliberate brainwash and mind control or plain ignorance. It is a fact that deliberate word manipulation exists. Where the line forms separating the planned mind control from the echo chambers of media, education, police, government, etc. is sometimes difficult to recognize, but there is one. Most don’t want to see this reality, I assume because it hurts too much.

To build on this concise observation, one first must be willing to recognize and accept the fact that we are all subject to the control of mass media – media that takes on every size, shape and style, which includes government, education, music, news, movies, video games, police, etc..

It was in December of 2014 that members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources released an informational document warning us that serious danger lurked in this world with the existence of propaganda, disguised as science, being used for political gain and the furtherance of private agendas – those agendas often fueled by corrupt money.

Committee Chairman at the time, Doc Hastings, said, “…potential bias about how ESA data and science are reviewed casts serious doubt on the credibility of these decisions, and provides more evidence that the ESA needs continued oversight and updating.”

Perhaps the question should be posed as to whether or not the scientific process is deliberately being bastardized for political and financial gain, or are we simply witnessing the results of many years of manipulating words of truth in order to create a lie – that which Jim Beers speaks of? Probably both.

How then, can we expect anything to change, or more specifically how can we return to a time when the real, honest, scientific process was in full dress mode? Never, is probably the right answer. Our infiltrated and corrupt education factories are pumping out mindless, brainwashed automatons that never question what they are told. They believe whatever is thrown at them, leaving their institutions of higher mind control and propagandizing, only to go about their business living the lies they were given by the corrupt purveyors of manipulated words that created the lies.

Here is but one example. Arkansas State University, to become compliant with the totalitarian act of political correctness, i.e. censorship and the destruction of the First Amendment, changed their “Indian” mascot to become the Red Wolves. So now thousands of students there flash the hand sign for the “red wolf,” which more closely resembles the symbol for Satanic worship more than a wolf.

However, what better target for the environmental radicals and animal perverts to prey on than easily mind-controlled students who think they are “red wolves,” to foist their “manipulated words into a lie.”

We see on this page of the ASU website, information about how students are going to become involved with the Endangered Wolf Center in St. Louis, Missouri and be subjected to propaganda (a movie) about saving the red wolf.

The first thing that needs to be said is that there is no longer any such animal as a “red wolf” – at least not that is defined through DNA. I suppose you can call anything any name you wish but that doesn’t change the fact that red wolves, as they once existed, we are told, cannot be found in our fields and streams nor can they be “reintroduced” to be protected and somehow, magically “revive” the red wolf population.

The Endangered Wolf Center extols the successes of red wolves in North Carolina. They can twist and manipulate words all they want but the experiment in North Carolina was an immense failure, in addition to living the lie that the semi-wild dogs the Federal Government was illegally dumping onto private land was not a red wolf at all. It was nothing more than a hybrid of coyote, domesticated dog and other “Heinz 57” admixtures. Federal biologists, eager to perpetuate and perpetrate their lies, simply called the mongrel a red wolf.

But here we see the environmental radicals and animal perverts preying on students who will be told probably every lie that ever existed when it comes to wolves, coyotes and endangered species.  If anyone knew better, they could see that this is a criminal act. In addition, people should be outraged to think that the thousands of dollars invested in a college education is being wasted on being subjected to some emotional clap-trap lies, sold as science.

If something isn’t done about this outrage, there is no hope that any university will produce people to go into the world and save the real scientific process. Instead we will continue to see apologetic word manipulations in order to mask truth and turn it into the lies that the environmentalists and animal perverts want.

 

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Filed Under: Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, Featured Article, Predators, Science, Wildlife Science Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Crime of Calling “Red Wolves” a Wolf

January 6, 2017 by 1 Comment

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has, for 30 years, been growing, fostering and protecting, mongrel, hybrid wild dogs and calling them “red wolves.” That is a crime.

The complete story is long and involved but is a great example of the mixed-up and perverted direction the U.S. Government and the citizens of this country have taken when it comes to convoluted notions about what constitutes a real species and the values associated with calling a manufactured mongrel mutt a species of wolf. Beside it being a crime, ignorance and emotional clap-trap is putting real species of coyotes and gray wolves at risk, saying nothing about the dangers associated with unpredictable wild dogs running loose and protected, as well as diseases, viruses and parasites.

Another of the fake “red wolves” of North Carolina was shot and killed and environmentalists, that more closely resemble the assortment of mentally ill patients in the movie, The Snake Pit, are bouncing their heads off walls demanding whoever was responsible be given capital punishment for it.

The person responsible for erecting the below billboard, had this to say about the event: “This “wolf” program is on a life support system composed of lies.  We are still very hard at work, albeit a little bit more behind the scenes than before. We have submitted lots of irrefutable evidence into the current 5 year review that should end this charade.  Much of the evidence centers submitted around the USFWS definition of species and this DNA study:

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/7/e1501714.full

The “wolf” population is quickly disappearing and is proving it is no where close to being a “self sustaining” population after 30 years of efforts.  Wildlife populations on my farm are now rebounding as I have removed wolves.  I understand the Trump administration wants to put control of the wolves in the hands of the States. This will be favorable for us, with the exception that NC elected a very liberal Governor that is highly supported by the NGOs.  It is my hope that Mr. Beers becomes our new USFWS Director.  He is exactly what we need.

The attached billboard I put up in the heart of Red Wolf territory has caused quite a stir with USFWS.  The billboard highlights the two issues we have, USFWS flooding their refuge which in turn is flooding our crops and also destroys what was supposed to be their “ideal red wolf habitat”.  I am going to fight this issue any legal way I can. 😉

Good luck Mr. Beers.  Rural America needs you!

Sincerely.”

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Filed Under: Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, National/World, Predators, Wildlife Science Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5-Year Status Review of the Red Wolf

October 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating a 5-year status review for the red wolf (Canis rufus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of information that has become available since the last review of this species.<<<Read More>>>

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And Like a Good Neighbor….

October 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

ncbillboard

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Government Fascists Flood Red Wolf Habitat Causing Removal of All Breeding Pairs

March 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment

*Editor’s Note* – Below is the content of an email I received about a formal complaint filed with the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Interior and the Special Agent in Charge, Professional Responsibility Unit of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The complaint essentially claims an animal that government labeled a red wolf was released into the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (PLNWR) and was to be managed there under the Endangered Species Act, including the PLNWR habit.

The formal complaint alleges that Refuge managers decided to flood the habitat used by red wolves to make way for protection of migrating water fowl. Since the flooding was done, all red wolves have evidently vacated the Refuge at the same time red wolves were showing up on other Public Lands as well as private lands. Some of those wolves were shot and killed.

The complaint charges the actions of the red wolf recovery agents and managers of the PLNWR violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by deliberately causing harm and death to an endangered species.

I understand the complainants expose that appears to show deliberate disregard for the ESA – a Federal Law that private citizens are expected to adhere to. However, perhaps we should thank these agents for what they have done, even though they may have violated federal law.

In the first place the animal government fascists dumped in the woods, was not a red wolf – if the species even ever existed. At best it was a cross-bred, hybrid that resulted in a semi-wild canine that is of no use to anybody or anything.

But what should rise to the surface in all of this is the fact that fascist government agents are above the laws the rest of us are required to follow or we suffer ridiculous, draconian consequences the like of which was never intended by the ESA….or were they. In other words, Government does as it wishes and always will because there is no accountability or consequences for anyone’s actions. American fascist Government has morphed into an ends is justified by means form of power.

One has to wonder what is expected to be accomplished in filing such complaints when the leaders of this government are the biggest crooks in the world. Presently we have a president who disregards the rule of law, dictating his own ideals onto the servitude, while our elected officials go along with it out of fear of many things, money is not the least of them. We have a candidate for president that lies and cheats regularly, is a murderer and has been caught red-handed breaking laws in this country geared to protecting national security, and yet, nothing is being done about it. Yes, there’s a lot of lip service but WE continue to allow it to be.

Having pointed this all out, should we really believe complaining about two-faced, fascist government actions concerning fake red wolves is going to even be looked into? The only actions that will be taken will be those to save one’s ass.

Here is the content of the email:

K. A. Toomey, #640
Special Agent in Charge
Professional Responsibility Unit
US Fish & Wildlife Service
698 Conservation Way, G-13

Shepherdstown, WV 25443

Special Agent John Hast
U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of Inspector General
1849 C Street NW – Mail Stop 4428
Washington, D.C. 20240

Mr. Hast and Mr. Toomey,

I would like to report the “take” of multiple endangered Red Wolves by USFWS as a direct result of USFWS significantly altering (flooding/saturating) the wolves’ habitat on the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.  As maps I present here clearly document, breeding pairs of wolves were once prevalent on PLNWR, the Refuge is now completely devoid of any pairs of wolves.

THE LAW

Section 3(18) of the ESA defines “take” to mean “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.”

FWS regulations (50 CFR 17.3) define “harm” to include “significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering.
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/rules-and-regulations.html

See also:

Under §7(a)(2), no federal agency may authorize, fund or carry out any action likely to threaten or harm the existence of an endangered / threatened species (or harm their habitat).
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/endangered_species_act_esa

Harm in the definition of “take” in the Act means an act which actually kills or injures wildlife. Such act may include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/50/17.3

*This is very important.  It should be noted the nonessential experimental population of Red Wolves in North Carolina receives the full protection of endangered species status as long as it remains on the Federal refuges.

THE VIOLATIONS
In September of 2007, USFWS Refuge Manager Howard Phillips and USFWS Project Leader/Refuge Manager Mike Bryant submitted the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan stating:

“All refuge management actions would be directed toward achieving the refuge’s primary purposes (i.e., conserving wintering habitat for waterfowl, providing production habitat for wood ducks, and helping meet the habitat goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan), while contributing to other national, regional, and State goals to protect and restore migratory bird populations.”
Page 270

*Please note the Red Wolves were promised this in 1993 by the USFWS Refuge Manager Jim Savery:

#1
#2
?

So what is the primary focus of the PLNWR?  Is it to be managed for ducks as Refuge Managers Bryant and Phillips state in their 2007 “Conservation” plan?  Or is endangered species management the number one objective as declared by USFWS Refuge manager Jim Slavery when the wolves were to be released on the refuge?

As I have learned, USFWS biologists say whatever suits their purpose at the time, whether it is to their neighbors or even the wildlife they are charged to protect.  I guess it was beneficial to be an endangered wolf in 1993, but better to be a duck in 2007.

To be clear, in the 2007 Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan it is stated:Under HABITAT MANAGEMENT for 61,288 acres of pocosin.

Successful maintenance or management of the pocosin will require restoration of hydrology to hold the water table at the surface of the soil.
Page 76
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/planning/PDFdocuments/PocosinLakesFinalCCP/PocosinLakes%20FINAL%20CCP%20Edited.pdf

From the 10/26/2007 Section 7 Biological Evaluation by USFWS Biologist Wendy Stanton for Watersheds 2 and 3:
“The hydrology restoration project would involve two steps; The first is to raise refuge roads two to three feet in elevation to maintain road accessibility and allow flooding adjacent blocks of land to surface levels or slightly higher to allow sheet flow.” “The second step is to install new and/or replace old leaking water control structures and culverts at every one foot change in elevation to manage water levels in the adjacent land blocks.”  Stanton further designated these actions relative to the red wolf to “not likely adversely affect species or habitat”

Now let’s look at the 2005 Section 7 Biological Evaluation signed by USFWS Refuge Manager Howard Phillips found on pages 159 – 161 of the USFWS 2007 Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan:

#3#4

?http://www.fws.gov/southeast/planning/PDFdocuments/PocosinLakesFinalCCP/PocosinLakes%20FINAL%20CCP%20Edited.pdf

Yes, you are reading this correctly, USFWS is going to fully saturate (flood) 61,288 acres of the previously “ideal” red wolf habitat but this action will “not likely adversely affect the species”.  How is it even conceivable that saturation of 61,288 acres of the wolves’ habitat to soil surface level or above will not likely adversely impact this species?  I have learned that there is no room for common sense when it comes to this Red Wolf Program and its management or lack thereof.

Let’s see what this new saturated habitat looks like.  This is the western edge of PLNWR.  The western edge is the highest elevation of the refuge at approximately 18 ft above sea level.  In the mid 90s, I would often quail hunt this exact piece of land.  We referred to it as the old cow pasture tract. The previous vast pond pine savannas with broom straw and myrtle bushes held some of the largest quail and rabbit populations I have ever seen. Not any more.  Here is that land now:
#5
?
The pond pine forests have long been drowned by USFWS “management and conservation actions”.
#6?

Keep in mind the significant modification of habitat “take” violation described in the ESA:  FWS regulations (50 CFR 17.3) define “harm” to include “significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering.

I assure you a wolf does not and can not den and rear young under water or even on land that is saturated to soil surface levels or above.  I further assure you the rodents, rabbits and upland game that once flourished on this refuge and served as a prey base for the Red Wolf are no longer here. This I can tell you and I am not even a red wolf biologist or refuge manager charged with the responsibility of protecting this species and determining the affects of this action on the endangered Red Wolf.

EFFECTS ON THE RED WOLF
I know USFWS Refuge Managers Howard Phillips and Mike Bryant promised to monitor and coordinate with the Red Wolf Recovery Team any adverse impacts of all this on their endangered Red Wolf.  But let me do it for them, since they obviously have not and will not.  I took USFWS 2003 and 2014 Red Wolf Pair maps and overlaid them onto the PLNWR map.  My findings are rather significant.

Here is a USFWS 2003 map of Red Wolf breeding pairs located on the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.  The green area is the PLNWR. Red Wolf pair territories appear in red,  coyotes in blue, and mixed pairs in black.

2003 Pocosin Lake Wildlife Refuge Red Wolf Map

#7?

In 2003, at least six Red Wolf pairs used PLNWR as part of their home territory.  If you assume many of these pairs had offspring in their family unit, you arrive at the previously contemplated carrying capacity of 15 – 25 wolves on the refuge.Now, let’s fast forward to 2014 after USFWS Refuge Management decided to manage the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge for waterfowl and not the endangered Red Wolf. Remember USFWS Refuge Management was charged with the responsibility to monitor any impact on the endangered Red Wolf and also to coordinate efforts with the USFWS Red Wolf Recovery Team to protect the wolf.

#8?

Yes that is correct, not a single pair of Red Wolves located anywhere on the PLNWR.

It should be noted that during this time period, the USFWS Red Wolf Coordinator reported directly to USFWS Project Leader/Refuge Manager Mike Bryant.  I want to understand why, as required under the Section 7 rules of the ESA, this adverse impact was not reported and acted upon.

IMPACT AND TAKE OF THE SPECIES
60 out of 64 gun shot wolves have occurred on private land as USFWS flooded the wolves’ protected Federal land and sought out dry land where they did not have the full protection of the ESA.  To add insult to injury, USFWS also adopted an internal policy to not remove wolves from private land as mandated by their 1995 Federal Rules governing this nonessential experimental population.

In a text book violation of the take provision of the 1973 Endangered Species Act, USFWS knowingly and willingly significantly altered and modified the protective Federal Refuge habitat (saturation/flooding) of the Red Wolf forcing it onto private land. The USFWS Red Wolf Recovery Team then refused to remove the wolves from private land, as legally required, knowing the mortality rate was far greater off the protected refuge.  Now as a direct result of these USFWS actions, the USFWS Red Wolf Recovery Program seems destined to fail as its population numbers have now precipitously dropped to the same number of breeding pairs (4) that the program started with almost 30 years ago.

Special Agents Toomey and Hast, please accept this as a formal complaint alleging take violations of the endangered Red Wolf as defined by the 1973 Endangered Species Act by USFWS.

Sincerely,

Jett Ferebee

 

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Filed Under: Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, National/World, Predators Tagged With: , , , , , ,