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COLORADO WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES MAY BE BROUGHT TO AN END!

Thanks to W.O.L.F. Sanctuary for giving us a tip.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) threatening the closure
of licensed nonprofit wildlife sanctuaries by adding a new regulations
that could shut down sanctuaries and for good in Colorado.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has had a history in wanting
to gut sanctuaries and close them.

In 2003, CDOW 'reinterpreted' existing regulations
to intentionally prevent any new Non-Profits from securing a license to
open a new sanctuary.

In 2004, W.O.L.F. Sanctuary, along with other organizations were
able stop that threat by getting the Colorado Legislature to
pass a new bill authorizing Non-Profit Wildlife Sanctuaries to exist.

In 2005 CDOW went on the attack again. This is because they
passed new regulations that required all new sanctuaries to be AZA
(Association of Zoos and Aquariums) certified —
(http://www.aza.org/Accreditation/AccreditationIntro/)
thus once again preventing any new ‘true’ sanctuary from getting a
license since the AZA is for zoos, NOT sanctuaries.

In May they are proposing new regulations which will require ALL
Non-Profit Wildlife Sanctuaries to secure a closure bond,
in the event that they have to close down the sanctuary.
Specifically this includes regulations such as closure plan, to post or
obtain a closure bond, closure insurance or letter of credit.

These regulations don't exist but if they would, it would be so expensive
for sanctuaries that they would have to close down.

That means that every sanctuary in Colorado is at risk of shutting down
and the lives of animals at every sanctuary are at risk too.

We need you to contact the Colorado Wildlife Commission, the Colorado Division
of Wildlife, Colorado Government Officials, and your Senators, and the Media
about this issue asking for support to stop the CDOW on this matter.

The Wildlife Commission meeting will be on Wednesday, May 4, 2007,
so we need to hustle on this. If this passes, many sanctuaries will
close down since they could not afford the bond. And those who wouldn't
comply with the decision should it pass, would be forced to shut down.

Many lives thus are at risk on this issue.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

We needs letters quick and fast to officials and to the media!

Here is a pre-made letter to send:

Dear Wildlife Commissioners:



I recently learned that the Division of Wildlife is proposing new regulations that would require wildlife sanctuaries to have a closure plan and to post or obtain a closure bond, closure insurance or letter of credit.



I can understand the need for a plan in the event that closures ever were to become necessary. The draft regulations, however, are egregious and unworkable given the realities around wildlife sanctuaries.



There is a severe shortage of wildlife sanctuaries in this country in view of the number of wild animals currently living in captivity, many of them in deplorable or downright cruel situations. Fortunately, the Colorado legislature had the wisdom a number of years ago to ban the ownership of exotic and other wildlife. A few years ago, it also had the wisdom to provide a specific licensing category for nonprofit wildlife sanctuaries, those facilities that do not breed or sell wildlife and, hence, do not contribute to the problem of wildlife living in captivity, a problem that has now reached crisis proportions.



Unlike the Colorado legislature and the people whom they represent, the Division of Wildlife does not seem interested in supporting the important work being done by the wildlife sanctuaries. These draft regulations are unworkable for several reasons.



First, they require a highly detailed closure plan that includes expense calculations for hiring a third party to conduct the closure. In the event of a closure, the animals would be better served if the sanctuary itself, through its operator, staff and volunteers, coordinated the closure and the placement (if possible) elsewhere of the animals. If euthanasia were the only option, having the people the animals have come to know and trust with them in the end would be comforting both to the animals and to those who have come to love them. Beyond that, there are no companies who offer this kind of service (sanctuary closure), so the requirement can not be met.



Second, the draft regulations require that a closure bond, closure insurance or letter of credit be obtained. These things cost money, and sanctuaries generally do not have funds available for these types of things. Besides that, they may be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, because they are a whole new “breed” of bonds and insurance.



Third, the draft regulations require that a stand-by trust be established. This too would require the expenditure of funds by sanctuaries that would be better spent on caring for the animals. It also is just more bureaucracy with which to deal if a sanctuary was to close.



For these reasons, I respectfully ask the Commission not to approve of the draft regulations. I also ask the Commission to instruct the Division to find ways to work with the sanctuary community to further a goal of assuring the success of the sanctuaries and to end the captive wildlife crisis.



Thank you.



Sincerely,

[your name]

[your address]





COLORADO OFFICIALS:

Governor Ritter
Mayor's Office for the City and
County of Denver John W. Hickenlooper
Senator Ken Salazar
Representative Mark Udall
Senator Lois A. Tochtrop
Senator Stephanie Takis
Representative Judith Anne Solano
Representative Diana L. DeGette

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS IN CONGRESS AT:
Congress

OTHER COLORADO OFFICIALS:

Harris Sherman, Director of the Department of Natural Resources

Wildlife Commissioners:

tmburke@juno.com,
cmo@ballyneal.com,
jeffcrawford@aboutrmi.com,
dickray@pagosa.net,
renstrom@frii.com,
bcoors@c5medicalwerks.com",
brayhunt@frontier.net,
roy@americannorthwestrealty.com,
lasanimascounty@sensonics.org,
wildlife.comm@state.co.us,
tglenn@chaffeecounty.org,

Colorado Division of Wildlife:

Tony.Gurzick@state.co.us,
Don.Masden@state.co.us,

Here is a more comprehensive list. This also has names and addresses that
if you have a good lawyer we will need to sue to stop this if it goes through.

Colorado Division of Wildlife

NEWS CONTACTS FOR COLORADO AND MORE

News:

alison.heller@cbsradio.com,
Amy.Haimerl@westword.com,
antoniaharrison@gmail.com,
bangert@greeleytrib.com,
bewegen@denverpost.com,
blarson@kunc.org,
ccornelius@denverpost.com,
clarke@dailycamera.com,
cnn@cnn.com,
cobler@greeleytrib.com,
cotemj@dailycamera.com,
damon.blick@foxnews.com,
deb_stanley@kmgh.com,
editor@gunnisontimes.com,
editor@steamboatpilot.com,
editor@telluridenews.com,
editor@vaildaily.com,
evansc@dailycamera.com,
feedback@westword.com,
fosterd@rockymountainnews.com,
frazierd@rockymountainnews.com,
GarnerJ@RockyMountainNews.com,
gerhardtg@rockymountainnews.com,
gtop@gazette.com,
hollyt@infinitydenver.com,
jbbear58@msn.com,
JDeHaas@earthlink.com,
JJswans@aol.com,
kcncnews@cbs.com,
kevindarst@coloradoan.com,
kmcguire@denverpost.com,
kris@estesparknews.com,
letters@durangoherald.com,
letters@gjds.com,
letters@greeleytrib.com,
letters@RockyMountainNews.com,
lspaulding@ccdailyrecord.com,
major_king@kmgh.com,
melissa_krol@kmgh.com,
mflegas@tribune.com,
mhooker@cbs.com,
MichelleRivera1@aol.com,
millards@dailycamera.com,
mjaffe@denverpost.com,
mwhaley@denverpost.com,
news@coloradoan.com,
news@reporter-herald.com,
news@summitdaily.com,
news2@cw2.com,
newsroom@chieftain.com,
news-tips@nytimes.com,
newstips@thedenverchannel.com,
openforum@dailycamera.com,
openforum@denverpost.com,
opinion@coloradoan.com,
opinion@times-call.com,
ParkStRanger@aol.com,
Paula_Hans@kmgh.com,
photo@dailycamera.com,
rcarroll@aspendailynews.com,
roger.wolfe@9news.com,
sbest1@elp.rr.com,
sobrien@denverpost.com,
susan@kuvo.org,
talbottc@dailycamera.com,
tengdahl@denverpost.com,
ward.lucas@9news.com,
wb2news@wb2.com,

FOR OTHER CONTACS IN THE MEDIA, GO TO:
Newslink.org

PLEASE ACT NOW!

MAKE SURE YOUR LETTERS ARE CARBON COPIED TO W.O.L.F.
SANCTUARY"


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