Poaching Plague Hits U.S. Bears

Many bears are killed just for their gallbladders, which are used in traditional Asian medicines to treat a variety of illnesses. Although accepted alternatives exist in traditional medicines, demand for bear parts is soaring.

As Asian bear populations have fallen, poachers are turning to bears in the U.S. to satisfy a flourishing black market. Each year, 30,000 or more bears are killed illegally in the U.S.

I just asked my Representative to sign on as a cosponsor to the Bear Protection Act (H.R. 5534) -- bipartisan legislation that would help end this poaching plague. You can, too. Just visit the web site below:

http://action.defenders.org/endbearpoaching

Poachers target hibernating bears in their dens and even track radio-collared bears that are part of scientific studies. And law enforcement agents report grisly findings: bear carcasses left in the woods with only the gallbladder and other parts removed.

Visit http://action.defenders.org/endbearpoaching and help save our bears!

Thanks!

Bears of Alaska with Tom Mangelsen

Bears of Alaska with Tom Mangelsen
Dates: Aug 13 - 18, 2007

Thomas D. Mangelsen announces his inaugural photo workshop - an exciting opportunity to photograph wild brown bears, eagles, and puffins at one of the premier locations in Alaska. Intended for the experienced wildlife photographer, the workshop will be held at a remote lodge in Lake Clark National Park with access only by airplane or boat. Limited to no more than 10 participants, this workshop offers the opportunity to photograph brown bears fishing for salmon with the world's most successful wildlife photographer. Workshop participants will be the only photographic group at the lodge and have the facilities almost completely dedicated to their workshop. Offering excellent meals, guides, and a remote location, this rustic Alaskan lodge photo experience is an opportunity to spend 5 days and 4 nights learning composition, lighting, exposure and digital processing techniques from Tom and his staff.

The workshop begins in Anchorage on August 13 at dinner with Tom. The next morning you will be flown by bush plane for a landing on the shores of Cook Inlet, where the lodge staff will transport you a short distance to the lodge. Grab your gear and it's off to look for your first photo opportunity! You'll spend 5 days and 4 nights filling your viewfinder with images of the Alaskan coastal plains and Mt Illiamna rising 10,016 feet to the west in the Aleutian Range. The lodge location puts you at the mouth of two rivers on the western shores of Cook Inlet, where the bears gather to fish for salmon. There is a shallow lake behind the lodge, where you may find loons, beavers, Trumpeter swans, and possibly Sandhill cranes.

All proceeds from this workshop will benefit The Cougar Fund, a nonprofit organization based in Jackson, WY. The mission of The Cougar Fund is to protect the cougar throughout the Americas. The Cougar Fund educates the public on the value of cougars in nature and promotes the gathering and application of sound science in their management. By advocating thriving populations of cougars, The Cougar Fund ensures that these beautiful, legendary creatures may exist in ways that enjoy long-lasting public support. (www.cougarfund.org) Each participant will receive a statement for tax deduction purposes from The Cougar Fund.

Thomas D. Mangelsen operates 16 Images of Nature galleries across the western United States, showcasing his images from 40 years of photographing wildlife in North America, Africa, South America, India, and Antarctica. In 2005, Tom was named one of the 100 most important people in photography by American Photo Magazine as well as being honored with Nikon's Legend Behind the Lens recognition. He has received an Honorary Fellowship from The Royal Photographic Society in 2002, named North American Nature Photographer Association's (NANPA) Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year in 2000 and in 1994, Mangelsen received the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award. His work has also been published in leading magazines such as Audubon, Smithsonian, Nature's Best, National Geographic, Life, Wildlife Art, American Photo and National Wildlife. He has been featured on television programs from The Today Show and Good Morning America, to CNN's World News. He has published numerous books, including Images of Nature, Polar Dance, and his most recent - The Natural World.

Katmai Bears Caught in the Crossfire

Brown bears living in and near Katmai National Park & Preserveare threatened by overzealous hunting regulations adopted by thestate of Alaska.

I wrote a letter for NPCA to deliver to the Alaska Board of Game meeting in March asking that these bears beprotected. I hope you will take a minute to do the same.

These bears are some of the most photographed in the world--but all that could change with continued over-harvesting.

Take action today! http://ga1.org/campaign/katmai_bear?rk=p7M1DF11XzhsW

Take action so grizzlies can rest easy this winter

Dear NRDC BioGems Defender,

Thanks to our legal action, we now have even more to celebratethis holiday season. Last week, a federal court rejected a planto expand destructive road-building in the Cabinet-Yaak andSelkirk wildlands that span Montana, Idaho and Washington. Theyare home to two of America's most imperiled grizzly bear populations.

But elsewhere in the vast, snow-covered ranges of the Rockies, anew threat to endangered grizzlies is looming. And we need your immediate online action to block it!

A major railroad company is plotting to use powerful military artillery to control avalanches along its railway in Glacier National Park. The deadline for public comments on this disastrous plan is December 29th, so please act quickly.

Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/bears/takeaction and tell Glacier officials that you support their preferred alternative, which would protect human safety, while safeguarding the park's magnificent wildlife and winter tranquility.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad has proposed firing explosives and dropping bombs from helicopters at Glacier'ssouthern boundary, even though scientific research has shown that such earth-shattering explosions are likely to disturb grizzly bear denning.

Instead, the company should upgrade its neglected, century-oldsystem of snow sheds to include overpasses for wildlife. Over the past 30 years, trains traveling along the borders of the park have killed at least 42 grizzlies, which are attracted tothe vegetation growing in avalanche chutes by the tracks, as well as grain spilled by railway cars.

Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/bears/takeaction and urge Glacier officials to reject Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad's reckless proposal and adopt an avalanche control plan that protects Glacier's natural values.

Thank you for all your efforts to protect grizzly bears andother imperiled Rockies wildlife.

Sincerely,
Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/biogems_bears_1206