May 27, 1999
YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SUPPORTING THE SYSTEMATIC
SLAUGHTER OF WILDLIFE TO THE TUNE OF $10 MILLION A YEAR
The Department of Agriculture agency was originally called Wildlife Damage Control, a somewhat misleading appellation but closer to the truth than this federal agency's new name: Wildlife Services, which makes it sound like a bunch of wildlife rescuers when its real mission is to kill as many predators as possible, primarily in western ranching country and largely for the benefit of corporations and wealthy absentee owners like ABC's Sam Donaldson.  Their premise is that reducing the number of predators will reduce the number of sheep and cows lost to wild predators.  In other words, they are attempting to tailor wildlife populations to suit the business interests of those who raise and sell domestic animals at the expense of natural ecosystems.  This business is especially destructive the prey/predator relationship which helps to maintain the animal community in balance with its habitat. 
       The balance is already upset when hundreds of domestic grazing animals are turned loose in an area.  These animals not only deplete the food supply but their hooves seriously damage riparian habitat so important, even critical, to wild species in the dry southwest to say nothing of aquatic species.
        It seems that the burden of protecting domestic livestock should rest with the people and corporations that  engage in raising animals for slaughter in order to satisfy the unhealthy, meat-based diet to which so many Americans are addicted.  Flocks and herds could be overseen by shepherds, but that would cost these business interests money instead of having predators removed and  for their benefit at the expense of the American taxpayers.  Burros, llamas and several breeds of dogs also provide protection by keeping predators away. 
       In 1997, employees of Wildlife Services killed no less than 82,394 coyotes.  Coyotes always seem to get a bad rap, but some ranchers have learned to live with them because their normal prey is not lambs, and certainly not calves,  but small rodents and rabbits.  Just because a coyote is found eating a domestic animal doesn't mean s/he killed it.    Death from natural causes is not uncommon among untended domestic animals.  Coyotes do kill cats and small dogs, however.
       Of the 82,394 coyotes killed, 32,000 were shot from airplanes, 18,219 bit on a sodium cyanide spray device hidden in a meat bait and 9,621 suffered in leghold traps.  The cause of death was not designated in many cases.
        Also killed were 5,858 foxes, 320 cougars, 1,845 bobcats, 322 bears, and 658 badgers to say nothing of the uncounted, unintended victims of this war on wildlife who were attracted to baits or happened to step into a trap.
       Ironically, killing wild animals effects only a temporary reduction in their populations as the remaining animals speed up reproduction.  Also when a species is exterminated from an area other members of that species soon move in to occupy that habitat. 
       Representatives Peter DeFazio (D) of Oregon and Charles Bass (R) of New Hampshire co-sponsored a bill that would have removed $7 million dollars from Wildlife Services' funding, forcing them to concentrate on only the most critical problems such as rabies control instead of indiscriminant killing of as many predators as possible.  Unfortunately, the Bass/DeFazio bill was defeated but there is hope that a similar bill will succeed next year if more people will press their representatives to support it.

March 21, 1999
LETTER TO NEW YORK STATE  ENVIRONMENT COMMISSIONER
John P Cahill from Civitas         re: cormorant killing

I am at a loss trying to resolve the claims of your department, that the increased cormorant population is causing a decline in the number of small mouth bass in Lake Ontario, with information published in the March 1999 issue of NEW YORK GAME AND FISH, which stated that the "smallmouth catch in 1998 was the highest in five years" for Lake Ontario while the "estimated harvest of 11,525 cohoes was the highest this decade."

Another article in the same issue mentioned that the increased perch population has resulted in an increase in walleyes, another species claimed to be adversely affected by cormorants.

This information does not jibe with claims that cormorants are creating a crisis in smallmouth and walleye populations.  I would appreciate receiving an explanation from your office.  - BR

No reply received as of July 1st, 1999  or even November 26