Protect Martens and Their Forest Homes

 

		Help Save Martens and Other Wildlife Rare martens are just some of the animals that are increasingly threatened by unbalanced management of our national forests. Please urge the Obama administration to restore balance on our national forests and preserve habitat for martens and other wildlife. Help us reach our goal of submitting 20,000 comments by the February 16th (Tuesday) deadline! Dear Andrew, If you're lucky enough to come across an American marten, odds are you're in a healthy forest. These shy, weasel-like animals feed on small mammals, fish, insects and fruit and depend on older, undisturbed forests for survival. But in many parts of their range, martens are declining as America’s forests become more fragmented due to indiscriminate logging and other irresponsible development on our national forests. Fortunately, you can do something to help safeguard the public lands that martens and other wildlife need to thrive. Federal officials are currently formulating plans that will directly impact nearly 200 million acres of public lands -- and the wildlife that depends on them to survive. But they need to hear from you. Take action now -- urge federal officials to safeguard our wildlife and wild places by ensuring our national forests are managed to protect our wildlife and their habitat. The U.S. Forest Service administers nearly 200 million acres of magnificent landscapes and diverse ecosystems, which support an incredible array of fish, wildlife and plants including key habitat for martens and iconic animals such as antelope, bison, bighorn sheep and elk. Our public lands can be safe havens for wildlife. But even our national forests face threats from poorly planned logging and energy production, as well as the risks of a changing climate. The loss of fish and wildlife populations on public lands can threaten clean water, recreational opportunities and other important benefits provided by these public lands. Defenders of Wildlife is working hard on Capitol Hill to pass America's Wildlife Heritage Act -- key legislation that provides essential steps to protect wildlife on our national forests. But the Obama administration can act now to protect our wildlife and wild places with strong rules for managing our national forests. Please take a moment right now to speak out to protect martens and other American wildlife. Our national forests provide refuge for struggling wildlife like the marten, house the watersheds that provide drinking water to 60 million people across the country and provide millions of us with access to camping, hiking, kayaking and canoeing, hunting, angling, and wildlife viewing (which, according to the Outdoor Industry Foundation, contribute $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy). The future of our public lands is simply too important to be left to chance. Please send your message today -- the deadline for comments is Tuesday, February 16th. Sincerely, Peter Nelson Director, Federal Lands Program Defenders of Wildlife

© Copyright 2010, 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. Defenders of Wildlife can be contacted at: 1130 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036