Weekly News Roundup: Defending Mountain Lion Habitat and more!

NWF   |   October 3, 2014

Large urban development in California is diminishing mountain lion habitat. In the Santa Monica Mountains, mountain lions are being forced to cross heavily trafficked highways to navigate around their habitat. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to defend these mountain lions! By urging President Obama to use his authority to designate the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument, we’d be permanently preserving their habitat!

This leaping mountain lion is demonstrating their incredible agility.
This leaping mountain lion is demonstrating their incredible agility. (Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons: myheimu)
In other news, NWF is working to protect bighorn sheep habitat from domestic sheep. Through our Adopt a Wildlife Acre program, NWF joined Animal Planet’s R.O.A.R. matching campaign. All funds raised for bighorn sheep will be matched by Animal Planet! The campaign ends on October 7, so be sure to send a contribution for bighorn sheep before then!

Help secure permanent protections for mountain lion habitat in southern California! Urge President Obama to designate the San Gabriel Mountains as a new national monument!

What’s happening at the National Wildlife Federation this week?

Sportsmen: Better planning means better balance

Bison habitatSeptember 29 – Sportsmen are urging the Bureau of Land Management to chart a more effective and efficient course for the future of land use planning as the agency holds a series of meetings as part of the revision of its current planning process.

“One of the primary goals for planning and management of our public lands should be to conserve vital fish and wildlife habitat now and for the future,” said Kate Zimmerman, the National Wildlife Federation’s public lands policy director. “By being more strategic with respect to development on these lands, we can also plan to ensure conservation happens.”

Matching Campaign Gives Montana Wildlife More Room to Roam

Big Horn RamSeptember 24 – National Wildlife Federation is pleased to announce it will once again compete in Animal Planet’s R.O.A.R. matching campaign from September 8 through October 7. Funds raised through the matching campaign will support National Wildlife Federation’s Adopt a Wildlife Acre program, which protect habitat so wildlife have a place to roam safely without running into livestock conflict.

National Wildlife Federation’s Adopt a Wildlife Acre program addresses the conflicts between livestock and wildlife with a voluntary, market-based approach. NWF offers ranchers a fair price in exchange for their agreement to retire their public land grazing leases. In most cases, livestock producers use the funds to relocate their livestock to areas without conflict. Wildlife has secure habitat, and ranchers’ cattle can graze in an area with fewer problems.

 

NWF in the News:

The Huffington Post: It Might Not Sound Sexy, But It’s the Future of Our Public Lands

The National Wildlife Federation, its partners in the Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development coalition — Trout Unlimited and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership — and six NWF state affiliates have submitted recommendations for improving the public lands planning process.

Bloomberg Businessweek: Toledo Toxic Algae Outbreak One of Many This Summer

In response to a 2014 nationwide survey conducted by Resource Media and National Wildlife Federation, all 39 respondents indicated that freshwater toxic algae is an issue in their state.

Boing Boing: The Tale of Sedgewick the Monarch Caterpillar

“Danaus plexippus is in trouble. David Mizejewski raised one to demonstrate its life cycle, and explains what you can do to help them thrive.”

The Toledo Blade: U.S. EPA chief: Crisis ‘a wake-up call’ for America

The National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office in Ann Arbor shares Ms. McCarthy’s sense of urgency “as well as her sense that what happened in Toledo really is a tipping point for freshwater protection and climate action,” according to Frank Szollosi, a manager of regional outreach for the group and a former Toledo city councilman.

Philly Today: Clean water requires vigilance

The EPA’s proposed rule does only one thing: It restores federal protection to waters of the United States that had been in place for 31 years.

International Business Times: Contaminated Drinking Water: EPA to Warn Public about Toxic Algae Outbreaks

Last year alone, 20 states reported nearly 150 separate toxic algal blooms in lakes, rivers and ponds, according to National Wildlife Federation data.