THE RETURN OF THE WOLF To Maine and the Northeast Resource & Action Guide

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Spencer Harvey
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1 THE RETURN OF THE WOLF To Maine and the Northeast Resource & Action Guide Wolves are native to North America, including Maine and the Northeast. Wolves, along with other predators, are a vital part of a healthy ecosystem. They are beautiful and intelligent animals. School children across the country are taught that the presence of both predators and prey is the way nature intended it to be. Just as there are sharks in the sea and eagles and hawks in the sky, there are wolves and other predators on the land. They have an important and vital place in the natural world. It s time for those who still unfairly demonize and persecute wolves, to learn what many of us have finally learned, that predators like the wolf have a place on the Earth and should be respected and appreciated and allowed to live on this Earth in peace, including here in Maine and the Northeast. If you d like to learn more and/or participate in my wolf education and advocacy efforts, please contact me at: Robert Goldman (FriendsOfTheWolves.org coming soon) Phone: bobg128@gmail.com RESPECT NATURE. RESPECT THE WOLF. The Return of the Wolf Resources Video

2 Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators - You can order this beautiful and enlightening one hour video at By sharing it with family, friends, classmates and colleagues, you will educate them on the vital role of wolves and other predators in the natural world. In the Valley of the Wolves A remarkable and intimate PBS NATURE video on the wolves of Yellowstone s Lamar Valley and their wildlife neighbors. Visit: Hunting Wolves, Saving Wolves An excellent PBS TV video report hosted by journalist David Broncaccio. Visit: Books and Articles Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat, a Canadian wolf biologist. An inspiring book and an easy read, for both kids and adults, about Mr. Mowat s up close study and adventures with a family of wolves in the Canadian wilderness. Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez. A ground breaking and amazing book about wolves and wolf behavior, that carefully details the astonishing, irrational grip wolves have exerted on the human imagination throughout history. This book will break your heart, but will hopefully motivate you to defend and protect wolves against those people who still cling to the false, demonic image of wolves, rather than allow them to be what they actually are, the fascinating, vital and true spirit of the wilderness. Wolves at Our Door by Jim and Jamie Dutcher. These award winning, Idaho-based, wildlife documentary film makers lived alongside a captive wolf pack in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho for six years. Through this magnificent book, you ll get to know each of the wolves they befriended and studied, as individual beings. If your mind and heart are open, you will surely learn to love, admire and respect these precious animal beings who are incredibly similar to humans in so many ways. (Also, check out the fabulous Discovery channel video!) The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species by L. David Mech, one of the world s foremost authorities on wolves. Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators by William Stolzenburg. A powerful and compelling account of the delicate balance between predator and prey. Humans have done so much to harm and disrupt the fragile balance of life on earth. We must finally commit to repair and restore the vast damage we have done to our precious fellow creatures and to the precious Earth we all share. Return of the Wolf: Reflections on the Future of Wolves in the Northeast Edited by John Elder. Middlebury College Press. Thought provoking essays by Bill McKibben, Rick Bass and other thoughtful writers. A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. This is a classic collection of magical essays on the natural world, including one entitled Thinking Like A Mountain, in which the author shares his special insight about wolves.

3 Wolf Wars (cover page article in the National Geographic magazine - March, 2010 issue). Article author Douglas Chadwick, lives in Montana wolf country and this article is very informative, with great visuals and lots of facts that support wolf restoration and protection. This article reveals that too many Westerners and too many other Americans are still using mythology and false accusations to demonize and kill wolves. Those of us who love wildlife and love wolves, who are a majority of Americans, must come forward to protect and defend these vital animals. The truth is on our side and the wolves.

4 Relevant Environmental Organizations National Defenders of Wildlife ( Natural Resources Defense Council ( Earth Justice ( Local RESTORE: The North Woods ( - RESTORE is focused primarily on large ecosystem-scale land conservation in Maine. Conserving such lands will allow for healthy wolf and wildlife habitat. Forest Ecology Network ( - FEN s mission is to protect, preserve and restore the Maine Woods. This includes protecting wildlife, restoring biological diversity, forest restoration and promoting sustainable forestry, protecting natural resources and supporting the creation of large-scale wilderness reserves. Coalition to Restore the Eastern Wolf (CREW) ( CREW is a coalition of several conservation and wildlife organizations joined together to coordinate wolf recovery efforts in the northeastern United States. CREW is currently inactive but will hopefully soon be revived, with YOUR help. Some Quotes to Ponder Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the wolf. Aldo Leopold I ve always said that the best wolf habitat resides in the human heart. You have to leave a little space for them to live. Ed Bangs, US Fish & Wildlife Service A portion of our world has been out of balance since their departure: a portion of our world has been restored since their return. Levi Holt, Nez Perce tribe member, on the restoration of wolves to the Rockies. If Katahdin and the other mountains and forests of the northeast could talk, they would be urging us to restore wolves to their rightful place in the ecology of our region. From the author of this guide

5 RETURN OF THE WOLF ACTION GUIDE (What YOU can do now to help the wolves return to Maine and the Northeast) 1. Educate yourself about wolves. Study and enjoy the books, videos and article listed above. You will be a more effective wolf advocate & friend. 2. Purchase a copy of the Lords of Nature video, share it and show it to everyone you know. You will help spread the word that wolves and other predators are a natural and vital part of a healthy ecosystem. 3. Write letters-to-the-editor to the Press Herald and other newspapers in your community. Educate readers about the importance of wolves and other predators in a healthy ecosystem. Let readers know that it s time to welcome the wolves to return home to Maine and the Northeast. 4. Join and support one or more of the national and local conservation and wildlife organizations listed in this guide. They need your support. 5. Contact the Governor, your Congressional representatives, along with your state senator and representative. Let them know you support the restoration of wolves to Maine and the Northeast. 6. Contact the state and federal wildlife officials listed on the next page and let them know you want the state and federal government to create and implement a wolf recovery plan for Maine and the Northeast. Together, we can make a difference for the wolves. We can finally put a stop to the unjust and unethical demonization and persecution of wolves. Let s spread the truth about wolves, that they are beautiful, intelligent animals and have a vital place in the natural world of predators and prey. Wolves are native to Maine and the Northeast. It s time to welcome them to return home in peace. Their return to our region will help heal the land and heal our hearts. If you d like to learn more and/or participate in my wolf education and advocacy efforts, please contact me: Robert Goldman (FriendsOfTheWolves.org coming soon) Phone: bobg128@gmail.com RESPECT NATURE. RESPECT THE WOLF.

6 Wildlife officials in Maine & New England RE: Wolf Restoration NOTE: Be prepared for these and other state and federal officials to offer you a bureaucratic response, but do not be discouraged or deterred. Let them know of your personal and enthusiastic support for the restoration of wolves to our state and region. Eventually the system will respond favorably as more and more of us speak up for the wolves, with confidence, wisdom and love. Wally Jakubas, Wildlife Biologist/Wolf Contact Maine Division of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife 650 State St. Bangor, ME Phone: walter.jakubas@maine.gov Mike Amaral, Endangered Species Contact US Fish & Wildlife Service New England Field Office 70 Commercial St., Suite 300 Concord, NH Phone: , then, * Michael_Amaral@fws.gov

Wolf Lines #141. The Bulletin of Wolf Council October 10, 2006

Wolf Lines #141. The Bulletin of Wolf Council October 10, 2006 Wolf Lines #141 The Bulletin of Wolf Council October 10, 2006 Wolflines is a bulletin of Defenders of Wildlife that serves wolf organizations and advocates. Bulletins are for informational purposes only