Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the effort to return wild bison to tribal lands would be stopped just as it was gaining ground. It looked like the dreams that culminated in the release of more than 60 bison from Yellowstone National Park last year on the Fort Peck Reservation would be killed.

The campaign to restore wild bison to the American prairies is still alive, thanks to the work by tribal and conservation leaders and the overwhelming public response. The National Wildlife Federation and more than 53,000 members and activists sent a clear message for the Montana legislature to call off its assault on bison. 

This spring, NWF joined tribes, other sportsmen’s and conservation groups and wildlife advocates to defeat a barrage of anti-bison bills sponsored by Montana lawmakers.  The bills that didn’t die in the Legislature were vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock. The bills could have blocked returning the bison to its home on the plains – to tribal lands and the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. The proposals ranged from a ban on transferring wild bison anywhere in Montana except the National Bison Range to a bill that would make the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks liable for any damage to private property by wild bison. Another would have allowed county commissioners to ban restoration of wild bison in their counties, even on tribal and federal lands.

Opponents rallied at the state Capitol in Helena to protest the bills. Leaders and members from five tribes participated in a peace-pipe ceremony on a bison hide in the center of the Capitol rotunda. Tribal leaders stressed that the bills reneged on commitments made in the last legislative session and, in some cases, threatened treaty rights. “They would starve our people of a vital cultural icon,’’ said Mark Azure, Fort Belknap’s director of Fish, Wildlife and Buffalo.

One of the worst of the anti-bison bills was killed after thousands of you responded to appeals from NWF. The bill by State Senator John Brenden would have changed bison hunting regulations, allowed private landowners to shoot bison if they wandered onto their land, and prohibited the relocation of bison anywhere in the state, including the transfer of bison from Fort Peck to Fort Belknap as previously agreed upon by the tribes. Brenden recently remarked, “Why do you want to spread this creeping cancer, these woolly tanks, around the state of Montana?” This type of anti-wildlife rhetoric was also seen in House Bill 396, vetoed by Montana Governor Steve Bullock, that would have required county commissioner approval before any bison were relocated. Clearly, many more people see bison as an important wildlife species to be preserved and recognize their value to grassland ecosystems and other wildlife.

Governor Bullock vetoed the two remaining bison bills. Senate Bill 305 would have prohibited using bison that have ever been privately owned for restoration to other lands. Senate Bill 256 would have made Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks liable for any damages resulting from wild bison that had been relocated or released.

The work will continue until bison return home – to tribal and public lands.

Last March marked a historic step forward in the campaign to restore wild bison when Yellowstone bison were released on the Fort Peck Reservation in eastern Montana.

Tribal members from Fort Peck and Fort Belknap, NWF staff, conservationists, and their supporters braved a cold, snowy night to watch as the animals bolted out of the trailers that had carried them 500 miles to their new home. It was a huge milestone in efforts to restore bison to the wild. The bison is the one large mammal driven to near extinction that hasn’t been re-established on the Western landscape.

Last year’s bison release on Fort Peck followed two decades of work by the tribes, conservation groups, and state and federal officials. The Yellowstone bison’s genetics date to an era when millions of bison roamed North America and were fundamental to Plains Indians’ physical, cultural and spiritual nourishment.

Yellowstone bison are special to the tribes because they are the last wild, free-ranging herd. For years, the tribes, NWF and other groups have urged that bison wandering out of  Yellowstone be transferred to tribal and federal lands rather than be gunned down because of fears they’ll spread the disease brucellosis to cattle. The disease can cause pregnant animals to abort, but there have been no confirmed cases of bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle. Bison transferred from Yellowstone have been quarantined and are brucellosis-free.

NWF members and activists, and our tribal and conservation partners, stood up for bison, and the Montana legislature and Governor Bullock listened. With a swipe of his pen, Bullock demonstrated that he agrees with NWF that bison belong on Montana public and tribal lands, along with all the other wildlife that are crucial elements of the ecosystem, our heritage and culture.

TOGETHER, we killed the bad bills, and now bison have a new future in Montana. Join us as we continue to work with tribes to restore bison and find new homes for the bison on public lands.

May 16- Late last evening, the House Committee on Agriculture passed its version of the 2013 farm bill.

“We commend Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) for crafting a bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation. “While we appreciate the difficult task of drafting a bill to achieve deficit reductions, the committee missed important opportunities to save taxpayer dollars through commonsense conservation measures for soil, water and wildlife.”

Notably absent in the House Committee bill was a provision included in the Senate committee bill that would link soil and wetlands protection to crop insurance premium subsidies. Major agricultural and conservation groups recently joined with Senate lawmakers to support reasonable soil and wetland protection requirements crafted to work better for producers.

NWF: McCarthy Deserves Clean Vote

May 16- Gina McCarthy’s nomination as Environmental Protection Agency administrator now moves to the full Senate after the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today approved her. Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Gina McCarthy has already been approved once by the Senate and since then has only strengthened her record as a non-partisan voice for sensible reductions in pollution to protect America’s wildlife, clean air and water, and public health. The full Senate should give her a clean vote as soon as possible. We’ve already wasted enough time watching polluter allies play political games with her confirmation process.

• Take action and tell your senators you support Gina McCarthy to serve as America’s next Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Shortsighted Senate Water Bill Will Damage Rivers and Wildlife, Fleece Taxpayers

May 15-  Today, the Senate voted 83-14 to pass the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, S.601.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in response:

“This shortsighted bill will leave Americans at greater risk of flooding, damage our rivers and wildlife, and fleece taxpayers. Apparently, all it takes is a classic Washington pig roast to break the gridlock in the Senate.

It would cost an estimated $60 billion to build all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects currently on the books. Today, the Senate has added to the backlog while undermining the process that identifies which projects provide real value. Time and time again, commonsense environmental reviews have shed light on expensive, damaging proposals that are not in our national interest.The Water Resources Development Act is vital for helping to restore national treasures like the Everglades and the Mississippi River Delta. Unfortunately, language in this bill undermines the bedrock environmental principle that the federal government should look before it leaps. For example, this bill will allow the Army Corps to fine other federal agencies up to $20,000 a week if they aren’t able to meet the new rushed deadlines for environmental review.”

• Read more about the Water Resources Development Act and how it effects wildlife.

National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Movement Announces Partnership With The American Camp Association

May 14- NWF  is pleased to announce a new partnership with the American Camp Association (ACA). Through this partnership, NWF and ACA will promote the importance of reconnecting families with the outdoors, particularly through Be Out There’s Great American Backyard Campout, which encourages families across the nation to gather outdoors and camp on June 22, 2013.

“NWF and ACA are committed to getting millions more children to play outdoors on a regular basis. This relationship is a win for American kids, because together we will help families raise healthier and happier children who have a lifelong commitment to protecting wildlife and the natural world,” said Meri-Margaret Deoudes, vice president of Be Out There at NWF. “Through this new partnership, ACA will help NWF’s Be Out There movement share resources that inspire parents to make nature a part of their family’s everyday lives.”

Senate Farm Bill Protects Soil, Water, Wildlife

May 14-The National Wildlife Federation commends Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) for their leadership in crafting and moving out of committee a strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill.

“The Senate farm bill includes an historic agreement between agriculture and conservation organizations to ensure that basic soil and wetland protection requirements were extended to apply to crop insurance premium subsidies,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation.

“NWF thanks the Committee members for their support of the agreement, especially Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who successfully offered an amendment to attach these provisions to crop insurance on the Senate floor last year and who stood up for the agreement in committee today.”

• Take action and ensure that worthy Farm Bill conservation programs are reauthorized at appropriate levels, structured to achieve maximum wildlife and environmental benefits, and fully funded during the annual appropriations process.

Senate Water Bill Expensive, Damaging

May 13- On Monday, spokespeople representing three very different backgrounds and perspectives offered up their opinions of the Water Resources Development Act (S.601).

• Download the audio of the telepresser here.

 And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Los Angeles Times- Senate approves bill that would benefit L.A. port
• Parents Magazine- Raise a Nature Lover
• Politico- Morning Transportation: Senate passes WRDA
• Miami Herald- Senate overwhelmingly approves water infrastructure bill
• Florida Today- Senate authorizes Port Canaveral widening
• Billings Gazette- Guest opinion: Good FWP planning can help resolve bison battles
• The Shreveport Times- Vitter says water bill will help Louisiana
• CNBC.com- Wind farms get pass on eagle deaths

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

North Atlantic Right Whale (flickr/MyFWC Research)

By way of celebration, let’s turn to a shining example. With climate change as a leading threat to wildlife, it is increasingly critical that we transition to clean and renewable energy sources and stop filling our air and water with dangerous pollution. NWF strongly advocates for the development of offshore wind energy projects in America’s waters. There is incredible potential along our Atlantic coastline to generate clean, renewable energy and it is time for us to start investing in this plentiful resource.  Of course, all energy development has some impact on wildlife habitat and our staff is actively working to ensure wildlife are protected as we pursue this critical clean energy source.

How could offshore wind development impact the severely endangered North Atlantic right whale?

With a global population estimated between 350 and 400 individuals, loss of even a single North Atlantic right whale stands to impact the survival of the species. Highly sensitive to underwater sounds, the surveying process typically employed for offshore wind projects could well disorient or disrupt the whales as they migrate through the area of the mid-Atlantic that has been designated for offshore wind development. Straying from their path could send travelling mothers and calves into harm’s way. NWF takes endangered species conservation very seriously, so we rolled up our sleeves and got to work in search of a solution.

Thanet Offshore Wind Farm, England’s southeast coast (flickr/nuon)

This agreement has a lot to say. Yes, it gives those of us concerned with wildlife protection an opportunity to advocate for an energy solution knowing that the wildlife we care about are being protected.  And yes, it confirms that the wind industry can lead a responsible transition away from fossil fuels.  It also says something much bigger: that when we come together and discuss overlapping challenges with a shared goal in mind, something truly sustainable can come out of it—a whole solution, far stronger than the sum of its parts.

With a mission to protect wildlife for our children’s future framing all that we do, responsibly sited offshore wind development is the only kind we will advocate for.  Thanks to bold industry leadership and the immeasurable benefits of innovative collaboration, that will be quite alright.

Speak up for right whales, sea turtles and other endangered wildlife! Tell the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to move forward with efforts to develop offshore wind energy off the Atlantic Coast with strong measures to protect wildlife.

Eagle taking flight. This photo, by Robert Miller, is from the National Wildlife Photo Contest.

The bald eagle has been protected for some 95 years, but continued killing was the primary cause for passage of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in 1940. While that helped, an even bigger challenge in the mid-20^th century was the widespread use of DDT, which led to a dangerously low population of 500 or fewer bald eagle pairs in the lower-48 states by 1963. Under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, a precursor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the bald eagle was officially declared an endangered species in 1967.

Road to Recovery

Enactment of the Endangered Species Act and the banning of DDT were both critical actions that lead to the recovery of the bald eagle. With the banning in 1972 of DDT — the cause of egg-shell thinning and breakage — the stage was set for nationwide efforts to recover the bald eagle via the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lead extensive efforts with the National Wildlife Federation and others to facilitate recovery of the bald eagle. These efforts included captive breeding programs, reintroductions, law enforcement, and nest site protection.

The National Wildlife Federation toured the country with a captive bald eagle named Migisiwa to increase public awareness and support for recovery of bald eagles.  We also posted a $1,000 award for anyone providing information leading to conviction for killing a bald eagle.

The National Wildlife Federation undertook efforts in the field to help bald eagles recover in the Chesapeake Bay. We also started the nationwide Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey in 1979 to monitor bald eagle populations, coordinating it until 1992, whereupon it was handed over to the federal government for continuation.

A bald eagle in flight. This photo, by Clinton Ferrara, is from the National Wildlife Photo Contest.

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act by learning more about Endangered Species Day and threatened wildlife in your state, and spread the word about this incredibly important legislation.

Endangered Short-Tailed Albatross

My favorite quote is from Baba Dioum, “in the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught”. We haven’t all been taught the significance of the Endangered Species Act, or the importance of supporting listed species. Therefore, the greatest thing we can do to honor Endangered Species Day is to educate ourselves and those around us to raise awareness.

Find out what’s in your state. Find out what endangered species live near you, learn their story and find out how you can help: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/

Also check out this interactive map of species success stories: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/map/index.html

I chose to learn more about a species in my home state. The Borax Lake Chub is unique to a single lake in Oregon. I learned the lake is one of the most unusual fish habitats in the United States because it is fed primarily by thermal springs. Drilling for energy development threatened the survival of the fish, and emergency listing as endangered saved the species. Great first date conversation material.

Let people know on Facebook. This is the place to really show people what’s important to you. We’ve designed a few Facebook cover photos for you to use, or design your own! Post information and photos about endangered species and tag @National Wildlife Federation to share with our community. I’ll be using this cover photo.

Here’s an example of a Facebook cover photo supporting an endangered species.

Finally, take a loot at these 5 Ways to Celebrate Endangered Species Day.

At the National Wildlife Federation–we want to know about the endangered species you care about, whether you tweet it, share it on Facebook, post a blog or even a comment below! (Also- be sure to join the fun even if you aren’t in the US! We would love to hear from you too)

If you are on Twitter, help us spread the word! Copy and paste this into your “tweet” window:

Happy Endangered Species Day!

Juvenile green heron flying

Photo by Flickr member Wildlifeshoots

Do you love nature photos? Check out the amazing entries or sign up for the 43rd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.