Happy New Year to us and all the critters!!!

Here is a look back in reveiw of some of the issues that have threatened or affected our wild life and natural habitats around the world  the past year. I along with many others, have  sent petitions  to President Bush and other State representatives. I  fight for the wildlife because they can not speak for them selves, and I can not bear the thought of losing any more wildlife or their habitats.  I want future generations to be able to experience nature ,and wildlife as I have been lucky enough to do .That is why I  work to not only preserve what we have , but to restore vanishing habitats  and other vital resources that have been lost, stripping us all of our natural heritage. Most of these lands are public and belong to each and every one of us.

 Here is my year in review , starting with the most recent:

 
e- Environmental Defense Fund 12-08
Reducing air pollution from coal-fired power plants

A federal appeals court in Washington temporarily reinstated a plan to reduce air pollution from coal-fired power plants.
Needless to say, this is a big win for clean air in America. The EPA has estimated the rule would prevent 17,000 deaths annually by 2015.

Wilderness Society 12-08
Utah Lease Sale

These lands contain vast numbers of historic sites, intricate fragile rock formations and countless remote canyons that symbolize the wildness of the West.
 Cherished wild lands in Utah's red rock canyon country, including Nine Mile Canyon and Desolation Canyon, may yet be saved from oil and gas drilling.

Just days after The Wilderness Society and six other conservation groups brought a lawsuit to protect 100,000 acres of wilderness quality lands from leasing, the BLM announced that, while it would sell the leases in these areas, it would temporarily halt the issuance of the leases until January 19 - the final full day of the Bush administration.

Members of Congress called on President-Elect Obama to cancel the lease sales altogether.  Federal regulations are clear that the administration can cancel any lease it determines has been improperly issued.

Defenders of Wildlife 11-08
Defenders in Action...

...Stopped planned wolf hunts in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.

Our lawyers successfully argued in court to restore vital federal protections to wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies. And while in its waning days the Bush/Cheney Administration continues the push to eliminate these protections, your support helped us save hundreds of wolves that otherwise could have died in planned wolf hunts.
 
...Secured important protections for polar bears threatened with extinction.

This year, the polar bear finally won protection under the Endangered Species Act after tens of thousands of Defenders activists called on federal officials to list this arctic ice king.

...Successfully urged our Senators to include and fund the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act through comprehensive climate change legislation considered by the Senate. And many more have contributed to our important legal efforts to protect vital polar bear habitat, prevent polar bear trophy hunting and stop Governor Sarah Palin, Safari Club International and others from allowing these majestic animals to be killed.
 
...Won vital new protections for some of the world’s most endangered whales.

Fighting opposition from Vice President Cheney’s office, we helped win new protections for endangered right whales threatened by ship strikes. And despite Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s strong opposition, Defenders successfully argued for much-needed protections for the Cook Inlet beluga.
 
...Protected sea otters and other marine wildlife off the coasts of California.

...Defenders of Wildlife’s California staff led a successful fight to pass new legislation that will improve oil spill clean-up and save wildlife. Defenders also led efforts to secure more than $250,000 each year in vital state funding for sea otter research and protection.
 
...Lent our voices to the fight to protect Yellowstone’s bison from senseless slaughter, and secured safeguards against the use and misuse of deadly poisons that have inadvertently killed millions of birds, restore funding for our National Wildlife Refuges, and much, much more.

Gulf Restoration Network
Cyprus Trees 11-08

"In response to announcements made by Wal-Mart, Lowe's, and Home Depot and to the fact that we are stopping illegal logging, our monitoring flights have shown cypress logging activities gradually come to a halt in coastal Louisiana." - Dean Wilson, Atchafalaya Basinkeeper.

Woohoo! Our combined efforts have already saved countless trees. Protecting cypress forests in Louisiana is a great first step, but there is still a hike in front of us. As we celebrate the intact forests of Louisiana, cypress logging continues to occur in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and undoubtedly other places we don't know about. And a long-term commitment to Louisiana's forests is still lacking.

Sierra Club 11-08
Stopping Coal Plants

We have won a major decision; the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) will no longer be able to ignore global warming pollution caused by coal-fired power plants.

We've stopped virtually all new coal plants dead in their tracks.
This ruling means new and proposed coal plants (over 150 have been proposed in the last two years) must now go back to the drawing board to address their carbon dioxide emissions.

With coal as the single largest cause of our nation's global warming pollution, this is a critical step to ensuring a clean energy future.

Audubon Society 11-08
Environment Wins in State Ballot Initiatives

Three states — Missouri, Minnesota, and Florida — passed statewide ballot initiatives that will provide tremendous benefits to the environment. Audubon also supported a fourth initiative in Colorado, which was defeated in the face of massive funding from the oil and gas industry.

MISSOURI
More than a year of hard work paid off, as Missouri became the 27th state to adopt a Renewable Electricity Standard, or RES. Under the RES, Missouri's four investor-owned electric utilities, including Kansas City Power & Light, must acquire at least 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2021. It is projected to save Missourians $331 million in electric bills over the next 20 years and the reduction in carbon emissions will have the same effect as removing 2 million cars from our roads.

MINNESOTA
Minnesotans overwhelmingly voted to amend the state constitution to significantly boost investment in natural resource stewardship across the state. With a slight increase in the state sales tax (3/8ths of 1%), Minnesota will now be able to invest $300 million annually for the next 25 years in projects such as protecting and restoring water quality; protecting wetlands, prairies, and wildlife habitat; investing in parks and trails; and supporting the arts.

FLORIDA
Passed by an overwhelming 68% of voters, Amendment 4 for land conservation exempts lands with conservation easements from property taxes and allows lands managed for water and wildlife benefits to be taxed according to use. These incentives have the potential to help protect millions of acres of habitat. The legislature will need to implement Amendment 4, and Audubon will work to ensure that the measure is carried out as intended and is not subject to abuse.

COLORADO
Audubon and other conservation groups, including the Nature Conservancy, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, and the Trust for Public Land, worked to pass Amendment 58 to address the critical need for more funding for land, water, and wildlife in Colorado. The amendment, supported by the governor, would have ended an outdated $300 million a year subsidy to the oil and gas industry and put the money towards conserving Colorado's land, water, and wildlife; fostering renewable energy projects; and tripling the amount of money available for financial aid for college. Not surprisingly, the oil and gas industry poured $11 million into an ultimately successful bid to defeat the amendment.

Wildernes Society 10-08
A quieter Yellowstone?

Quieter times will soon be upon the oldest national park in country, thanks to a monumental decision last month by a federal court to throw out a Bush Administration decision to authorize nearly 550 snowmobiles per day in the beloved park.

In September, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia invalidated the Bush decision, finding that it violated the conservation mission of the National Park Service. The court also found that the decision did not respect the Park Service's own scientific conclusions that snowmobile usage significantly increases noise and unhealthy exhaust, disrupts the experiences of visitors and harasses the park's wildlife, including bison, which are already stressed throughout the harsh Wyoming winters.

The Park Service must now develop a plan to immediately reduce snowmobiling to a level that ensures the protection of clean air, tranquility and wildlife, ideally cutting the number by more than half this year and then phasing down over the next few years.

Audubon 10-08
Congress Passes Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy

After nearly a year of political infighting, Congress finally passed into law a much needed package of clean and renewable energy tax incentives earlier this month. The tax package, which included many important tax extensions for renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, was a last minute addition to the economic recovery package. Many of the tax extensions in the package were set to expire at the end of the year.

These tax incentives are critical for sustaining ongoing investments in clean energy technologies. Such investment creates new jobs, bolsters local economies, and moves us away from our dependence on dirty fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. In addition to investments in renewables like wind, solar, and geothermal, the package also included incentives for manufacturing more energy efficient appliances, increasing efficiency in our homes, and incentives to make it easier to buy more fuel efficient vehicles.

Audubon 10-08
Great Lakes Compact Signed by President

On October 3, shortly after Congress approved the Great Lakes Compact by an overwhelming majority, President Bush signed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, endorsing sweeping protections for the Great Lakes that culminate a decade's worth of work by Audubon and other conservation organizations, government agencies, businesses, the public, as well as countless local, state, and federal leaders.

The Great Lakes Compact is a landmark international agreement that will prevent mass export to water-thirsty states in the Southwest as well as foreign nations around the globe. The Great Lakes contain more than 90% of the fresh surface water in the United States, and 20% of the world's supply. However, scientists estimate that only 1% is naturally replenished by rain, snow melt, and groundwater each year. The Compact will help protect this one-time gift of the glaciers.

Audubon 10-08
House Passes No Child Left Inside Act

 Environmental education received a major boost on September 19th, when the House approved the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 by a vote of 293-109. The legislation would authorize major new funding for states to provide high-quality, environmental instruction. Funds would support outdoor learning activities both at school and in non-formal environmental education centers, teacher training, and the creation of state environmental literacy plans.

Wilderness society 10-08
Ike's distruction

 In addition to the human toll, three national wildlife refuges were in Ike's path, and saw the devastation of key staging areas for hundreds of species of migratory birds. Our staff is working with Congress to get federal funds to help damaged refuges.
wilderness society

Gulf restoration network 10-08
Environmental Fallout from Ike

Sadly, it became apparent that Ike's destructive power had a big impact on the Gulf Coast environment. The Associated Press reports that "at least half a million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico." The storm also "destroyed at least 52 oil platforms" while severely damaging 32 other platforms. In the face of a natural disaster of this scale it is impossible to fully protect industrial infrastructure and oil and gas installations. As the national debate over offshore drilling continues, we must remember the real environmental impacts that will accompany increased offshore drilling.

Union of concerned scientist 09-08
Victory on alfalfa case

In an opinion issued September 2, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the reversal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) approval of Roundup Ready herbicide-tolerant, genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. In a landmark decision, the Appeals Court agreed with the lower court that the USDA had not adequately considered either the economic impact on organic and conventional alfalfa farmers from inevitable contamination of their crops by GE alfalfa or the environmental harm from herbicide-resistant weeds. The case was brought by the Center for Food Safety.Read more at the San Francisco Chronicle.
http://ucsaction.org/ct/-1MS6j71H46E/

Gulf Restoration Network 9-08
EPA Makes Historic Decision to Protect Wetlands

The EPA took the final step to veto the Yazoo Pumps Project, an antiquated Army Corps of Engineers project that would have destroyed over 200,000 acres of wetlands in Mississippi, including habitat for the endangered Louisiana black bear.
  This is only the 13th time in history that the EPA has used its veto authority to protect wetlands, and this is by far the most destructive project ever stopped.  You can read the news story here. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122040280744093353.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Union of concerned scientists 08-08
Off-label use of cephalosporins banned by FDA

In an important victory for public health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned all off-label uses of two generations of cephalosporin antibiotics in food animals. These drugs are approved for use to treat respiratory infections in livestock and prevent infections in chicks, but veterinarians, like doctors, often prescribe medications for uses other than their official purposes. The FDA stepped in to ban this off-label use because these cephalosporins are particularly valuable to human medicine and because scientific studies showed that off-label uses posed a risk of creating antibiotic-resistant diseases. Read a press release about the ban from the Keep Antibiotics Working coalition (pdf), or read an article about it from Bloomberg.com.
William Webb - about.com

Ontario's Government Announces Good News for Birds 07- 2008

Ontario's government recently announced great news for many of North American's breeding birds. Premier Dalton McGuinty led the Ontario Government in committing to protect a huge swath Canada's Boreal Forest – one the planet's largest remaining intact forest ecosystems. This landmark conservation decision protects more than 225,000 square kilometers (approximately 86,900 square miles) – or 55 million acres – of Canada’s Boreal Forest.

The Boreal Forest provides habitat for more than 300 breeding bird species, along with a large diversity of other wildlife including caribou, bears, and wolves. An estimated 70% of all Yellow-rumped Warblers breed in the Boreal Forest. This vast forest also plays an important role in absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus reducing the impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, the Boreal Forest faces growing threats from mining, logging, and drilling.

This fantastic decision by the Ontario Government was in response the work of organizations like the Boreal Songbird Initiative and a letter sent to the Canadian government by 1500 scientists advocating for protection of 50% of the Boreal Forest. It is a great step forward in the fight to save birds, protect biodiversity, and reduce climate change.

Audubon 07-08
"Hurricane Highway" Officially Closed

Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), a controversial navigation channel that funneled storm surge into New Orleans and greatly worsened flooding, is still one of the biggest threats to the city, but that is about to change. Creating and maintaining the MRGO also destroyed more than 20,000 acres of coastal wetlands that could have reduced Katrina's storm surge and spared lives. Scientists from Louisiana State University estimate that the wall of water that hit New Orleans moved at 8-10 ft/sec through sections of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet—3 to 4 times faster than it would have over natural wetlands. Last fall, we let the US Army Corps of Engineers know that the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet must be properly closed to protect the City of New Orleans and valuable wetlands. As of last week, the MRGO is officially, legally de-authorized, and a plan for ecosystem restoration is on the horizon.

Audubon 07-08
Victory for Our Beaches and Coastlines

On Wednesday, June 11, on a party line 9-6 vote, the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee rejected an amendment from Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) that would have allowed oil exploration from 50 miles to 200 miles offshore and allowed oil and natural gas leasing activities to begin along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Audubon opposes opening up the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to drilling due to the risk of severe oil spills and pollution that could devastate wildlife and ecosystems and severely weaken coastal economies that are dependent on recreation and tourism. Although supporters of the amendment argued that drilling offshore would help to lower gas prices, the truth is that oil could not be brought to market for at least seven years and even then would have no significant effect on gas prices at the pump. Americans deserve real solutions to high gas prices that provide relief now and protect our coastal waters, beaches, and economies. 

Audubon 07-08
Sage Grouse Victory in Wyoming

The head-long rush for energy development on Western federal lands has long raised Audubon concerns about the fate of declining sage grouse populations. Administration-backed leasing for coal bed methane, oil, and gas development seemed destined to force a long, difficult showdown between development and environmental interests with habitat and grouse likely to disappear as the battle raged.

Audubon Wyoming, and ultimately the full resources of Audubon, stepped into the fray with a better approach. We focused on identifying and saving the most important grouse habitat while allowing some compatible development activities to proceed. Late last month, the federal Bureau of Land Management adopted a critical part of the recommendations resulting from Audubon efforts, including thousands of public comments submitted by our dedicated advocates.

The BLM will limit the number of coal bed methane pads permitted on leases in the Powder River Basin to only one for every 500 acres. It's believed that similar restrictions will be extended to all Wyoming leases sold in the month of June. While by no means a complete solution to the development problem, these changes represent a step in the right direction in safeguarding sagebrush habitat. A big thank you to everyone who submitted comments.

Defenders 07-08
A Big Win for Wolves --

A federal judge has restored endangered species protections for wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.

The ruling by a district court judge in Montana could save the lives of hundreds of wolves by stopping this fall's planned wolf sport hunting seasons in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.  

Sierra Club 6-08
Victory for Sierra Club and the Giant Sequoias!

Just a week ago we saw the end to the Sierra Club’s three year long battle with the timber industry, preventing them - once and for all - from logging in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

The win came at the 11th hour, as the Sierra Club legal team prepared to appear in the Ninth Circuit court to argue the last case standing, a last-ditch appeal by the timber industry, regarding commercial logging in the Monument. But on the eve of the hearing, they abandoned and withdrew their appeal - putting the final nail in the coffin of this very drawn out case - and putting an end to the pillage of these iconic trees.

Beginning in 1901, when John Muir lobbied for the expansion of Sequoia National Park to encompass the entire range of the giant sequoia, the Sierra Club has advocated for the protection of giant sequoia ecosystems in their entirety. And after years of fighting to keep our towering Sequoia trees safe from the timber industry's saws, we have finally won. Thanks to this hard-earned victory, our children and grandchildren will be able to stand in awe of these noble giants for generations to come.

Audubon 5-08
Teshekpuk Lake Saved from Drilling!

On Friday, the Secretary of Interior announced that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would defer additional oil and gas leasing around Teshekpuk Lake in the northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA) for at least 10 years. The decision came with the release of a final revised environmental statement and activity plan for Northeast NPRA, after a lawsuit blocked a controversial September 2006 lease sale for Teshekpuk Lake. Thousands of Audubon supporters had submitted public comments on the revised environmental impact statement, Audubon activists attended BLM hearings to protest the drilling plans, and Audubon Alaska and the Audubon Policy office have worked any and all angles to keep oil drilling out of this special area. The Teshekpuk wetlands provide breeding, molting, and resting habitat for more than one million migratory birds and are the most important goose molting habitat in the entire Arctic.
http://audubonaction.org/ct/EdsUuNY1sXAy/teshekpuk

Amendment to Allow Arctic Drilling Defeated in Senate
 
On Tuesday, May 13, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Pete Domenici (R-NM) offered a damaging "Drill Everywhere" amendment to flood insurance legislation being considered by the Senate. The amendment, which would have allowed dirty, polluting oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as off of America's coastlines, was soundly defeated in bipartisan fashion!

The oil industry's friends in Congress needed 60 votes to pass the misguided amendment, but fell far short as the amendment was defeated by a vote of 56 to 42. Nearly every Democrat and 7 Republicans voted for protecting the Arctic Refuge and America's coasts from oil drilling. Audubon activists played a key role in this victory—every member of Congress who received calls from Audubon voted right!

UPDATE: Settlement Protects Piping Plovers on Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Our efforts to protect the wildlife at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore have resulted in a successful settlement with the National Park Service. The compromise resolves a lawsuit which challenged the Park Service to protect wildlife from the impacts of beach driving along the Seashore. The total number of colonial waterbirds nesting on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches declined significantly from 1995, from a high of 1508 nests in 1997 to only 212 nests in 2007 or a decline of 86% in ten years. Last year's breeding season was the worst on record. The agreement will safeguard wildlife while still allowing residents and visitors to enjoy fishing, surfing, beach driving and other activities at the Seashore.
http://audubonaction.org/ct/m7sUuNY1sXAm/northcarolina

Bill to Protect Migratory Songbirds Introduced in House

The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) has provided hundreds of grants for pro-active, on-the-ground conservation projects benefiting America's native migratory birds. Audubon was one of the lead authors of the NMBCA when it was first enacted in 2000, and played a lead role in shepherding the bill through Congress when it was reauthorized last year at a higher funding level. Now Audubon is again working with our partners to strengthen the NMBCA and increase its conservation reach through increased funding. Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) and Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) have introduced legislation ( HR 5756) to increase the funding level for this important program from $6.5 million to $15 million. Audubon strongly supports this bill and applauds the leadership of Congressmen Kind and Gilchrest.

Union of Concerned Scientists 6-08
Clean Vehicles

 Last year’s fuel economy success recently came under threat when the Bush administration attempted to undermine the effectiveness of the new law. The administration also backed automaker allies as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson blocked state authority to regulate global warming pollution from cars.
http://ucsaction.org/ct/sdMS6j71sY4t/

Food and Environment
In April, UCS issued a landmark report—CAFOs Uncovered: the Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations—examining the economic, health, and environmental costs we are paying as a society for these huge crowded facilities. The report demonstrates that smaller, less damaging operations often can be as cost effective as CAFOs. It also outlines important policy changes needed to protect our food, health, environment, and communities, and to support smarter alternatives for food production. UCS has also weighed in on a proposed new label on meat from “naturally raised” animals and continues to push for legislation to end the overuse of antibiotics in animal feed.
http://ucsaction.org/ct/s7MS6j71sY4g/

Scientific Integrity
This spring,  Congress passed major legislation that will help federal government scientists protect the U.S. public from unsafe toys and other products. A new report exposing pervasive political interference at the Environmental Protection Agency leads the charge for agency reform, while a new call-to-action lays the groundwork for restoring integrity to government science under a new administration. Next week, we'll testify twice on Capitol Hill about political interference in science.
http://ucsaction.org/ct/x7MS6j71sY4W/

Invasive Species
In April, we urged our representatives to protect our nation’s waters from aquatic invasive species by voting in favor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2008.  Even when faced with a veto threat from the president—the bill passed the House in a landslide victory, 395 to 7! “Title V” of the bill will help prevent ships from inadvertently transporting potentially damaging plants and animals from one port to another.
http://ucsaction.org/ct/xdMS6j71sY4O/

Sierra Club 6-08
A California Treasure Protected

After years of legal wrangling, the Sierra Club and partner groups this month announced a deal to protect the largest contiguous parcel of land designated for conservation in California history -- 240,000 acres of stunningly diverse landscapes on the privately owned Tejon Ranch south of Bakersfield.

At 375 square miles, the preserve of desert, woodlands, and grasslands is eight times the size of San Francisco and nearly the size of Los Angeles. It also ties together several diverse habitats -- meaning that native wildlife and plants in Southern California will have a better chance to adapt to climate change.

Wilderness Society 6-08
Court Protects Public's Land

Kane County, Utah, broke the law when it adopted an ordinance encouraging off-road and other vehicles to use routes closed by federal land managers in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and in a designated wilderness area. A U.S. District Judge in May found that Kane County also violated the Constitution by posting dozens of road signs in the places Monument managers had closed to vehicles to protect sensitive wildlife habitat, archeological treasures, and wilderness values.

"The judge's ruling sends a clear message that the county's actions were illegal," said Kristen Brengel of The Wilderness Society. "Encouraging illegal off-road vehicle use can seriously harm the very natural and cultural resources and values that make the Grand Staircase so spectacular."

Defenders of Wildlife 5-08
Florida Forever

The Florida legislature unanimously approved funding for Florida Forever. Thanks to programs like Florida Forever, the state has purchased and protected more than 2 million acres of land for conservation and recreation, including vital habitat for Florida's wildlife.

We saved Alaska’s voice by helping to defeat Governor Sarah Palin’s legislation that would have cancelled a vote this summer on the state’s brutal aerial wolf hunting program -- a program that Alaskans have voted down twice before.
 
We gave bison a break in Montana, by writting messages to Montana tourism officials expressing outrage over the senseless slaughter of bison outside Yellowstone National Park. Last week, Governor Brian Schweitzer announced a deal to create a much-needed winter corridor for these icons of the American West.

We spoke out to support efforts to return the once-thought-to-be-extinct black-footed ferret to their land. And last December, the Fish & Wildlife Service came through, releasing the first black-footed ferrets to be seen on the Kansas prairie in 50 years.
 
We protected the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Defenders rallied our conservation partners and local residents to save the Refuge, home to snow geese, tundra swans and the world’s only wild population of red wolves. Thanks to this near constant pressure, the U.S. Navy abandoned plans to build a harmful landing field near this important refuge. 

Union of concernced scientists 1-08
EPA libraries will reopen

Congress has allocated $3 million in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 budget to reopen its closed libraries. The EPA must report its progress to Congress within three months.

As you may recall, in late 2006, UCS sounded the alarm that the EPA had begun hastily closing its network of scientific libraries, effectively preventing EPA scientists and the public from accessing vast amounts of data and information on issues from hazardous waste to air pollution. In the process, documents were destroyed and library equipment was sold off. 

In response, over the course of several weeks, We directed a steady stream of phone calls to EPA headquarters. And we demanded that the agency immediately stop its plans to close more libraries.

The calls earned UCS an invitation to meet with EPA officials to discuss the status and future of the EPA library system. UCS joined the American Library Association, several scientific societies, and leaders in Congress in calling for the EPA to reopen its library system and create a clear and transparent plan to make information available electronically. Shortly thereafter, the EPA temporarily suspended its closure plans until a better solution could be found.

The value of the library system
In order to fulfill its mission to protect human health and the environment, the EPA must rely on accurate, up-to-date scientific information as well as the findings of earlier studies. To make the best scientific determinations, scientists need access to information regarding the health effects of toxic substances, records of environmental change over time, impacts on specific regions or communities, and other issues.

These are only a few of the issues that affected our wildlife and nature this year, there are many more . The following Conseravation Organizations are a great way to keep up with what is going on with our nature and wildlife  around the globe. And it's simple to voice your oppinion and make a difference in our world!

The Wilderness Society 

The Wilderness Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving American wilderness. Our mission is to ensure that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water, wildlife, beauty, and opportunity for recreation and renewal provided by pristine forests, rivers, deserts, and mountains.

The Defenders of Wildlife 

Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. 
 

The National Wildlife  Federation

National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.We have been working to protect America's wildlife since 1936.We represent the power and commitment of four million members and supporters joined by affiliated wildlife organizations in 47 states and territories.We channel the energy of thousands of volunteers from all walks of life to take action because they care about wildlife.We unite Americans in their shared value of wildlife.

The National Audubon Society 

Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.

The Union of Concerned Scientists

is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world. UCS combines independent scientific research and citizen action to develop innovative, practical solutions and to secure responsible changes in government policy, corporate practices, and consumer choices.

The Gulf Restoration Network

The Gulf Restoration Network is a diverse network of individuals and local, regional, and national groups committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the resources of the Gulf of Mexico region for future generations. Founded in 1994, the GRN has members in each of the five Gulf states. 

e- Environmental Defence

Environmental Defense is a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, we have linked science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems.

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You can find alot more Organizations that defend our Wildlife and Natural lands on my resources page as well.

Here is to another year of accomplishments and victories! And to all the  conservational groups and individual people that fight so hard for our wildlifes and natures, and arm us with the valuable information and resources needed to make possative changes in our world,  I would like to say ... THANKYOU!!!

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