It is no secret that the Republican Party has been making bold moves against the environment and conservation since Trump has taken office. Last September, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service spearheaded a federal law protecting Alaska's predators within 76 million acres of federal land. The Republican dominated House of Representatives has voted to overturn this law, which prohibits hunters from shooting bears and wolves, trapping them in snares, and gassing them in their dens while on the wildlife refuge. Republicans argue that "intensive predator management" is crucial to boost moose and caribou populations for, you guessed it, more hunting.
Poking the bear
The move to overturn this bill is being led by Alaskan Republican Don Young. “We have to recognize this is not about the little polar bears, the little grizzly bears or wolves on television, this is about the state's right to manage – not allowing the federal government to do so,” Young argued. With predators being an essential part of any ecosystem, killing them off will radically alter an otherwise healthy ecosystem. Federal reserves are meant to protect and preserve our nation's wildlife for all Americans, not only hunters. Wildlife tourism rakes in over $2 billion annually for healthy ecosystems. That is five times more than the revenue from hunting. The resolution to overturn these protections is titled H.J Res.
69. It is moving to the Senate for a vote, which is also majority Republican. If it passes, it will go to the President's desk for him to sign. He most likely will, as he has shown little to no regard for conservation in his few short weeks as acting president.
The People's Climate March
In a national poll from 2015, statistics showed that 90% of Americans support the Endangered Species Act.
In the recent weeks, Trump has revoked grants and funding to the Environmental Protection Agency, changed several department heads to Republican climate change deniers, and issued gag orders of many departments including the National Parks Service. If you are one of the 90% of Americans who support conservation, you may call your local senator to voice your concerns.
There will also be an international protest on April 29th called the People's Climate March. The goal of this March is to bring science, climate change, conservation, and wildlife issues back into the light.
