This week, the Trump administration reinstated cyanide bombs on 245 million acres of public land. They proposed opening 95% of our National Wildlife Refuges to hunting. Congress is trying to strip federal protections from gray wolves through a budget rider with no court review. Michigan pre-filed a wolf hunt bill before a single vote has been cast.
And in Wisconsin, our gray wolf endangered species petition sat unanswered for 350 days — until we sent a formal pre-litigation demand letter to the DNR on Monday.
Before you scroll to the actions, remember this: nobody thought we could beat back the ESA Amendments Act with this administration and this Congress. We beat it back anyway. Not once — twice. Not because we had powerful lobbyists or unlimited money. Because thousands of regular people picked up the phone. Not special. Not connected. Just people who give a damn about endangered species and took five minutes to say so. That’s what worked. That’s what always works.
We are not going to pretend this isn’t a lot. It is. But every single one of these has something you can do about it right now. Pick one. Pick all of them. Just don’t pick none.
Four Actions. Right Now.
Two calls to Congress. One public comment. One state-level ask for Michigan subscribers. Here’s exactly what to say.
Oppose Section 125: Stop the Wolf Delisting Rider
Section 125 of the FY2027 Interior Appropriations bill would strip federal ESA protections from gray wolves nationwide — and permanently ban any court challenge. No science. No process. No recourse. The last time Wisconsin wolves lost federal protection, 218 were killed in under 60 hours.
Tell them:
- Oppose Section 125 in the Interior Appropriations bill
- Wolf delisting belongs in science, not a budget rider
- A no-court clause is unconstitutional and unprecedented
- When wolves lost protection in 2021, Wisconsin hunters killed 218 in under 60 hours
Find your members: house.gov | senate.gov
Cosponsor Canyon’s Law — Ban Cyanide Bombs from Public Lands
The Trump administration just reinstated M44 cyanide bombs on 245 million acres of BLM public land. These spring-loaded sodium cyanide devices look like sprinkler heads. They have killed family dogs, injured children, and slaughtered tens of thousands of non-target animals including wolves, bears, and eagles. They have been proven ineffective. Canyon’s Law would ban them from all public land permanently.
Tell them:
- Cosponsor Canyon’s Law H.R. 4180 (House) / S. 2179 (Senate)
- M44s kill indiscriminately — pets, children, endangered species
- They’ve been proven ineffective at controlling coyote populations
- No family should encounter a cyanide bomb on a public trail
Find your members: house.gov | senate.gov
Oppose Opening 95% of Wildlife Refuges to Hunting Deadline June 26
Two days ago, the Fish & Wildlife Service proposed the largest hunting expansion in refuge history — 111 refuges across 32 states, rolling back non-lead ammunition protections, with staff and law enforcement already gutted. In Wisconsin, this directly threatens Necedah National Wildlife Refuge — the primary nesting site for the endangered whooping crane recovery program. One in ten eastern whooping crane deaths has been caused by shooting.
GLWA has already filed our official scientific comment. Now the agency needs to hear from you. You don’t need citations. You need to mean it. Tell them you hike Necedah. Tell them you photograph eagles. Tell them you believe there should be places on this earth where wildlife is simply left alone. One honest paragraph from a real person matters more than a copied form letter.
Everything you need — our official comment, the science fact sheet, and the direct comment link — is at:
Take Action on Refuges →Oppose HB 6008: Michigan’s Pre-Emptive Wolf Hunt Bill
Michigan lawmakers filed a bill requiring a wolf hunt within 90 days of any federal delisting — before Congress has even voted. Michigan’s wolf population is stable at roughly 768 animals. This bill skips science entirely and treats a kill order as a foregone conclusion.
Tell your state rep and senator:
- Oppose HB 6008
- Wolf management must be grounded in biology, not political anticipation
- Michigan should not have a kill switch pre-loaded and waiting
- When wolves lost ESA protection in Wisconsin in 2021, 218 were killed in under 60 hours
Find your Michigan legislators: legislature.mi.gov
The Clock Is Ticking on Wolf Protection
On May 26, GLWA sent a formal legal demand to Wisconsin DNR Secretary Karen Hyun, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and the Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation. They have 10 days to respond to our gray wolf state endangered species petition — filed over 350 days ago. Federal wolf monitoring has collapsed. Congressional attacks on ESA protections are advancing. Wisconsin has the independent authority to protect its wolves right now, without waiting for the federal government.
Read the full demand letter overview →
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Staying on top of what’s happening locally, statewide, regionally, and at the federal level. Filing official comments on your behalf. Educating you on the most effective ways to speak for wildlife. None of this happens without you.
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Melissa Smith
Executive Director, Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance
Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife
msmith@wiwolvesandwildlife.org | 608-234-8860
speakforwildlife.org
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