Western Watersheds Project (westernwatersheds.org) has requested to be withdrawn from our website list of organizations and individuals that “support our 2 goals” (see list at mtwildbison.org, under “mission” toolbar).
Staff of WWP, while they claim to support restoration of (public-trust?) wild bison on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, are concerned that readers of our media will interpret “supporters of our goals” as being members of the Coalition. We have explained the difference, however we recognize that this misinterpretation is likely. Based on this concern, WWP expects each NEWS release on the website to be pre-approved by all the supporters of our goal for bison on the CMR Refuge. Unfortunately, this is not a workable solution.
WWP objected to our request, in a Bozeman Chronicle ad, for members of seven environmental groups to lobby these organizations to increase, through their media, public awareness of the dismal 85-year old history of ignored recommendations to restore public-trust wild bison on the CMR Refuge. While the Montana legislature has rejected any wild bison restoration, the national public is very much unaware of the Congressional mandates that require bison restoration on the CMR national refuge, but remain unfulfilled. Worse, many media reports praise current expansion of small, intensively managed bison herds; while there is little public understanding or awareness of the threat of domestication to the future of wild bison genomes.
Recent public, but limited, activity of the Fish & Wildlife Service suggest some current federal interest in restoring wild bison on the CMR. Widespread public support, outside Montana, for this inkling is critically needed. Otherwise, the largest federal refuge within the historic range of plains bison will lack an important part of its biotic integrity for still more years!
No comments:
Post a Comment