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Popular Tags [ View All Tags ]:: endangered species act; grizzly bears; laguna san ignacio; military sonar; overfishing; polar bears; shipping; species protection; whales; wolves

All Documents in Wildlife

End Commercial Whaling Renegade whale hunting threatens the survival of endangered species around the world News: Whales are still being killed across the world's oceans -- despite an international ban on commercial whaling -- by countries that exploit loopholes and label their hunts as "scientific research."
Crisis for Yellowstone's Buffalo America’s last wild, free-roaming herd is threatened by “hazing” from ATVs and helicopters Overview: Every spring, the bison of Yellowstone National Park get "hazed" back into park territory by rangers swooping down in helicopters, on horseback and riding ATVs. Hazing is disruptive and devastating to the buffalo, and many bison, including newborns, are needlessly killed in the process.
Make Your Garden Bee-Safe Honey bees are disappearing across the country, putting $15 billion worth of fruits, nuts and vegetables at risk Guide: Bees across the country are disappearing from a mysterious condition know as Colony Collapse Disorder, but you can help keep these important pollinators healthy by attracting them to your garden with these helpful tips.
Protecting Wolves in the American West Removing Endangered Species Act protections threatens the survival of Northern Rocky Mountain wolves. Fact Sheet: To many Americans, wolves represent wild nature that has been lost in many parts of the country. These magnificent animals are once again at risk. The Bush Administration's proposal to remove Endangered Species Act protections -- to "delist" wolves -- threatens to return Northern Rocky Mountain wolves to the brink of extinction by allowing states to kill more than 60 percent of the current wolf population. NRDC recommends action at both the state and federal levels to maintain the long-term health of wolves in the Northern Rockies. Get document in pdf.
Protecting Whales from Dangerous Sonar NRDC takes the U.S. military to court to save marine mammals from underwater noise News: NRDC has been fighting for more than a decade for prudent safeguards that would protect whales and other marine mammals from military sonar exercises -- eventually taking the fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Give Swordfish a Break Conservation campaign helped restore North Atlantic swordfish and provided an example for future efforts. News: After a two-and-a-half-year campaign led by NRDC and SeaWeb to restore swordfish populations in the north Atlantic, the federal government in August 2000 announced measures to protect juvenile north Atlantic swordfish from fishing.
Why We Need Bees Nature's Tiny Workers Put Food on Our Tables Fact Sheet: Many people think of bees simply as a summertime nuisance. But these small and hard-working insects actually make it possible for many of your favorite foods to reach your table. From apples to almonds to the pumpkin in our pumpkin pies, we have bees to thank. Now, a condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder is causing bee populations to plummet, which means these foods are also at risk. Get document in pdf.
Grizzly Bears in Danger Without government protection, an icon of the American West could return to the brink of extinction. Interview: Louisa Willcox, director of NRDC's wild bears project, has worked to protect grizzly bears since 1985. One of the foremost experts on grizzly conservation in the country, she lives in Livingston, Montana.
Danger in the Nursery Impact of Tar Sands Oil Development in Canada’s Boreal on Birds Report: Each spring more than half of America's birds flock to the Canadian Boreal forest to nest. There, tens of millions of birds -- as many as 500 breeding pairs per square mile of forests, lakes, river valleys, and wetlands -- spend the winter. Yet almost all the biggest oil companies are mining and drilling important Boreal forest and wetlands to access thick, low-grade petroleum. As much as an area the size of Florida is endangered. This December 2008 report from NRDC, The Pembina Institute and the Boreal Songbird Initiative describes how Canada and the United States must protect migratory birds and bird habitat from this new form of high-impact energy development.
Whale Songs in the City
News: Whales have been recorded singing near New York harbor, but noise pollution puts them at risk.
Lethal Sounds The use of military sonar poses a deadly threat to whales and other marine mammals News: Whales and other marine mammals face a grave threat from military sonar and other noise in the oceans. Manmade sound waves can drown out the noises that marine mammals rely on for their very survival, causing serious injury and even death.
Vanishing Bees Honey bees are disappearing across the country, putting $15 billion worth of fruits, nuts and vegetables at risk News: Without bees to pollinate many of our favorite fruits and vegetables, the United States could lose $15 billion worth of crops -- not to mention what it would do to your diet. Colony collapse disorder is decimating honey bee colonies across the nation, yet the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to aggressively address the problem.
Fish Out of Water
Issue Paper: In April 2008, state and federal agencies took the unprecedented step of completely closing the commercial fishery for Chinook salmon. And California now faces the possibility of becoming a state where salmon fishing is a thing of the past and where wild, locally caught California salmon permanently vanishes from restaurant menus and supermarkets. This July 2008 issue paper examines the operation of water management projects in the state as one of the most significant -- and reversible -- causes of the fishery collapse and provides comprehensive policy recommendations for restoring and sustaining this treasured resource.
Trout in Trouble The Impacts of Global Warming on Trout in the Interior West Issue Paper: Global warming is the single greatest threat to the survival of trout in America's interior west. If nothing is done to reduce human-produced greenhouse gas emissions -- the primary culprit behind global warming -- trout habitat throughout the Rocky Mountain region could be reduced by 50 percent or more by the end of the century, bringing fewer opportunities for anglers to enjoy sportfishing and resulting in serious economic consequences for those who depend on the fishing, recreation and tourism industry for their livelihoods.
Arctic Wildlife Refuge: Why Trash an American Treasure for a Tiny Percentage of Our Oil Needs?
News: Drilling for oil in America's premier wildlife sanctuary would deface the pristine landscape and threaten Alaskan wildlife.
Safeguarding Alaska's Arctic Wilderness
Index: Oil and gas drilling, coal mining and invasive development are combining with global warming's effects to wreak havoc on Alaska's vast, remote Arctic landscape. NRDC is working with Alaskan Native communities to protect this wilderness area and the whales, bears and other diverse wildlife that depend on it.
Global Warming Threatens Wildlife Climate change threatens species from your backyard to the Arctic. Index: Global warming is pushing wildlife over the brink. From melting sea-ice throughout the Arctic to increases in infectious diseases and loss of food, evidence of the impacts of global warming on wildlife is mounting. This index collects fact sheets on global warming's effects on threatened species.
Porpoise in Peril Help protect the most endangered small marine mammal in the world Fact Sheet: NRDC is working to prevent the extinction of the vaquita marina (Phocoena sinus), the world’s smallest porpoise and now its most endangered small marine mammal. The main threat to vaquitas is the accidental entanglement in nets set for fish and shrimp that is exported from Mexico to U.S. consumers. Immediate action must be taken to protect this critically endangered porpoise. Get document in pdf.
Threathened Species, Global Warming and How CITES can Help
Fact Sheet: Global warming is pushing wildlife over the brink; CITES should take action to protect the world's species. Get document in pdf.
Polar Bears on Thin Ice
Fact Sheet: The polar bear's Arctic habitat is rapidly disappearing due to global warming. The international community must take action to protect the polar bear from global warming and other man-made threats. Get document in pdf.
Mercury Contamination in Fish: A Guide to Staying Healthy and Fighting Back
Guide: Power plants and chemical facilities are the main sources of mercury pollution, but this hazardous chemical makes its way into our homes and bodies in fish. This guide provides information about the health effects of mercury exposure, shows where it's coming from, offers tips for eating fish more safely and highlights opportunities to help stop mercury pollution.
Crown Jewels at Risk
Guide: Without quick action to halt global warming, our favorite national parks could lose some of their splendor.
Great Bear Rainforest
Photo Album: On Canada's Pacific coast lies one of the Earth's largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest: the 8-million-acre Great Bear Rainforest. Once threatened with intense and destructive logging, the Great Bear's future now seems brighter after the announcement of a historic conservation agreement and the resulting protection of 5 million acres of the rainforest. These photos illustrate the amazing diversity of the Great Bear's ecosystem and the wildlife that call it home -- and testify to environmental activists' power to shape history.
Yellowstone's Grizzlies Still Need Protection
Index: NRDC issue briefings and fact sheets explain why removing Yellowstone's grizzlies from the endangered species list puts bears in jeopardy.
Sounding the Depths II: The Rising Toll of Sonar, Shipping and Industrial Ocean Noise on Marine Life
Report: Ocean noise produced by military sonar, oil and gas exploration, and shipping traffic can have impacts on marine life ranging from long-term behavioral change to hearing loss to death. This November 2005 NRDC report reviews the science, surveys the leading contributors to the problem, and suggest what might be done to reduce the impacts of noise on the sea -- before the proliferation of noise sources makes the problem unmanageable.
Wildlife on the Brink
Overview: In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, "The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value." The Endangered Species Act is the best tool we have to ensure that future generations will inherit a nation of soaring forests, redrock canyons, lumbering grizzlies and tiny songbirds. Without its protections, we risk losing hundreds of species of plants and animals across the nation to pollution and private development. See our photo gallery of endangered wildlife and learn about the terrain they need to survive.
Grizzly Bears in Peril
News: The plan to remove protections for Yellowstone grizzlies threatens their long-term survival.
Arctic Refuge 101: Fact Sheets
Overview: Get informed about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's extraordinary wilderness and wildlife, the damage oil development has caused in neighboring areas of Alaska's North Slope, and better ways we can meet our energy needs.
An Alternative Path to Grizzly Recovery in the Lower 48 States
Issue Paper: This May 2004 NRDC policy paper outlines a practical plan for restoring grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states by preserving grizzly habitat, anticipating and resolving conflicts between humans and bears and increasing public participation in grizzly protection. The paper presents an alternative to the current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan for grizzly protecton.
Ocean Protection Case Studies Marine ecosystems and fish populations are in trouble, but proven solutions exist to restore the health of the oceans. Overview: Marine ecosystems and fish populations are in trouble, but proven solutions exist to restore the health of the oceans. These brief case studies illustrate a few and the results they can achieve.
Nature along New York and New Jersey's Atlantic Coastlines
Photo Album: New York and New Jersey's Atlantic coastal lands and waters -- the most densely populated area in the United States -- is also home to a vital, varied and unique community of plants, birds, mammals, fish and many other creatures. See what's wild in the neighborhood with this month-by-month guide.
Wildlife Species and Their Habitat: The Adverse Impacts of Logging
Report: This supplement to NRDC's End of the Road report provides additional detail on the specific effects of logging on North American wildlife, as studied and recorded in independently peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Wetlands at Risk: Imperiled Treasures How a Supreme Court Decision Jeopardizes Millions of Acres of Waters and Wetlands. Report: America's wetlands, which provide critical wildlife habitat as well as pollution and flood control, are drained, filled and polluted at an alarming rate. This July 2002 report from NRDC and the National Wildlife Federation looks at the potentially damaging consequences of a January 2001 Supreme Court decision regarding "isolated wetlands," and illustrates the vital role these areas play in ecosystems across the United States.
Global Warming Threatens Cold-Water Fish
News: A 2002 study finds that as planetary temperatures rise, salmon and trout are likely to disappear from streams across the United States -- unless global warming pollution is reduced.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Policy Reports and Analyses
Fact Sheet: In-depth information on the controversy over opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, from NRDC's lawyers, scientists and analysts.
Keeping Oceans Wild How Marine Reserves Protect Our Living Seas Report: Marine reserves are like national parks, and they are critical to keeping the world's oceans healthy and productive. This NRDC report demonstrates how placing important ocean areas off-limits is already reaping tremendous benefits, and shows how each of us can participate in protecting marine life and habitat for the future.
Caviar Emptor With this campaign, NRDC and our partners aim to make buyers aware that trade in caviar has pushed several species of sturgeon to the brink of extinction. News: Sturgeon have been swimming the world's waters since dinosaurs walked the earth. But unrelenting overfishing aimed at harvesting caviar, together with pollution and habitat destruction, have driven many of the world's 27 species of sturgeon to the brink of extinction. To reverse these declines, NRDC and others have launched a campaign to reduce demand for caviar and protect these ancient fish.
Priority Ocean Areas for Protection in the Mid-Atlantic: Findings of NRDC's Marine Habitat Workshop
Report: In September 2000, NRDC organized a workshop that brought scientists together to identify specific priority ocean areas in the mid-Atlantic for protection. This report summarizes the results of the scientific workshop in order to foster better understanding, management, and protection of marine species and habitat in federal waters of the mid-Atlantic. The report includes maps reflecting priority areas recommended by each participating scientist.
Land of Little Rivers: Fly Fishing in the Catskills
Photo Album: Fly fishing enthusiasts are among the most ardent advocates for clean and healthy rivers. These photos illustrate fly fishing on the rivers and streams of the Catskill mountains, including the still undammed Beaverkill River, one of the country's best known and most beloved trout streams.
Unwelcome (Human) Neighbors: Sprawl and Wildlife
Issue Paper: A policy paper detailing how roads and sprawling neighborhoods are replacing pristine wildlife habitats at an alarming pace, putting the survival and reproduction of plants and animals at risk.
Whale Nursery Saved An NRDC-led coalition stopped Mitsubishi from building a saltworks at Laguna San Ignacio. News: Mitsubishi and the Mexican government announced on March 2, 2000 that they are abandoning plans to build a massive industrial salt plant in southern Baja California. The Mexican government had proposed to construct the saltworks in partnership with the Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan at Laguna San Ignacio, the last undisturbed birthing and nursery grounds of the gray whale.
Mission to Laguna San Ignacio Face-to-face with the gray whales at a threatened nursery. History: Getting this close to a gray whale is rare for anyone, but for those on this special journey -- including actors Pierce Brosnan and Glenn Close -- living with the magnificent gray whales for five days touched them deeply, and in some cases changed their lives.
Laguna San Ignacio Gray Whale Nursery
Photo Album: Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California, Mexico is best known as winter home to the gray whale. Every year the whales migrate over 10,000 miles between their summer feeding grounds above the Arctic Circle and the coastal waters of Baja. They have adopted the warm, shallow waters of the lagoons along the west coast of the Baja peninsula for their calving nurseries. Here they spend the months of December to March birthing, feeding their calves, breaching and spyhopping, joined by hardy ecotourists.
The Birds of Hawaii's Hakalau Forest
Photo Album: Hawaii's Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge protects endangered birds and their rainforest habitat. This photo gallery contains images of nine of Hakalau's unique forest birds.
Hook, Line, and Sinking: The Crisis in Marine Fisheries
Report: A report documenting the plight of marine fisheries worldwide, with particular emphasis on United States waters. The report gives detailed information about the status of fish populations in the U.S., evaluates the factors contributing to fish depletion both domestically and internationally, and concludes with recommendations to reverse the decline.