Just forwarding an ACTION ALERT from one of the local wildlife rehabbers...
MA
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Legislative action for lead use needed!
From: "Terese Evans"
Date: Tue, January 19, 2010 9:06 am
To:
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PLEASE READ THE BELOW FROM MARK POKRAS, WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO
GET LEAD AMMUNITION AND FISHING GEAR OFF THE MARKET. PLEASE SEND
THE LETTERS THANKS
Norma Campbell
Injured & Orphaned Wildlife
Campbell, Ca
Small Mammal Specialty
"If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than
contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of
technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the
beginning, not just after we got through with it."
- President Lyndon B. Johnson, on the signing of the Wilderness Act of 1964
The following is a message from Mark Pokras...
he has worked for many, many years on the lead contaminating our
environment.
Now is a chance to step up and help make this a healthier place for all
species...
but especially so many of the wild animals we serve.
Please take a moment to read this for all of our sake. Thanks!!
HELP on the Pb issue!!
We have a wonderful opportunity to change the face of US policy on Pb
for fishing and hunting gear...but a very short window for action.
The Dept of Interior and USEPA are considering rules that would require
the replacement of Pb fishing and hunting gear with non-toxic
alternatives. Discussions are going on NOW and decisions may well be
made in late Jan or early Feb.
As you would expect, the fishing and hunting lobbies are aligning
against this in a big way and have started a letter writing campaign.
They have scheduled a meeting with the head of Dept of Interior (Ken
Salazar) for Jan 26th to lobby their side.
It is VERY important that our information is heard in this debate. I
am going to try to go to DC in the next week or so to meet with
officials in various offices and if anyone from your organizations
could join me, that would be terrific (of course I have no funds for
this...).
So the time is NOW to try and generate a letter writing campaign to
show that there IS widespread support for such a ban. Letter or emails
should be in your original words...not just form letters and should
stress several elements (add your own, too!!). Letters should be from
the heart and could certainly contain scientific citations, websites,
or your experiences with lead poisoned people and animals. Note that
Pres. Obama strongly supported legislation to protect children from Pb
poisoning when he was a senator.
Here are a few points to consider including:
1. that there is LOTS of GOOD scientific evidence to show that lead has
significant health effects on people, domestic animals and wildlife --
both acute and chronic
2. that alternatives DO exist for Pb hunting and fishing gear and that
they are not prohibitively expensive
3. that hunters and anglers have always been thought of as active
conservationists and that there is an important role for them in making
this change -- to protect health, to protect the environment and to
protect the resources that we all cherish.
PLEASE write to:
Barack Obama, President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Ken Salazar, Secretary
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240
Copies of these letters can be sent to your own senators and
representatives and anyone else you know in these federal agencies.
PLEASE distribute this email widely and let's see if we can't change Pb
use in this country in a big way!
Many thanks!
Mark
************
Mark A. Pokras, DVM
Wildlife Clinic &
Center for Conservation Medicine
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
200 Westboro Rd.
N. Grafton, MA 01536-1895 USA
E: [log in to unmask]>
--
Terese Evans
[log in to unmask]
Black Hawk Wildlife Rehab Project
www.bhwildliferehab.com
"The love for all living creatures is the most notable attribute of man." Charles
Darwin
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