Mitch Merry

Delta Smelt

Congress Making California Drought Worse Through Legislation

The severe drought afflicting much of the West is being used as a smokescreen by some in Congress to undermine critical environmental and wildlife laws including the Endangered Species Act. This past summer and spring, the House of Representatives and Senate passed bills designed to help affected communities with drought relief. Since then, they have not be able to find common ground.
wolves

USFWS: Protect Wisconsin’s wolves

A group of respected scientists recently alerted the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) that the state of Wisconsin is inaccurately reporting the impacts of aggressive hunting and trapping seasons, poaching, and other factors leading to wolf mortality, leaving the FWS unable to accurately detect what could be a substantial decline in wolves in the Western Great Lakes.
New Zealand Dolphin
extinction

New Zealand Government Willfully Allowing Extinction of Native Dolphins

The New Zealand government is willfully allowing the extinction of their own native dolphin species, the endangered Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) and the critically endangered Maui’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui). New Zealand marine scientist Dr. Elisabeth “Liz” Slooten is doing everything she can to stop it.
extinction

Technology joins the fight against poaching

Elephant poaching is on the rise, and the international demand for illegal ivory continues to grow. In China, the ivory trade is extremely profitable; a single elephant tusk weighing 6 pounds can go for $12,700. The business in China is undergoing a crackdown and has largely moved online. In the United States, it is estimated that 30% of the ivory on the market is illegal.