BAT for the Jaguar!

BAT for the Southwest Jaguar!

 Hear ye, Hear ye…Calling cyclists and supporters for the upcoming Jaguar Bike-A-Thon in Arizona.

We will be going the “extra mile” for the jaguar – pedaling a route of over 300 miles from the Arizona-Mexico border to Phoenix, Arizona, to demonstrate our strong support for bringing back the jaguar as a native species of the American Southwest.

We invite you to join us for all or part of this important event, or pledge your support and assistance (see check off below).

When: Spring 2010.  Exact dates to be decided.  Please fill out our Jaguar BAT Questionnaire .

Itinerary (Subject to change/modification): The US-Mexico Border at Sasabe; Arivaca; Coronado National Forest; Nogales area; Patagonia-Sonoita, Saguaro National Park;  Tucson; Oracle; Superior; Phoenix. We will make short stops in or near areas of important jaguar habitat, places where jaguars were know to have occurred, and locations where there are threats to jaguar habitat.

Objectives: Our purpose is to build public awareness and support for recovery of the endangered  jaguar in the American Southwest.  We will talk to people along our route and carry conservation messages from them along with proposals to restore the jaguar. We’ll present these to federal and state officials and elected leaders in Phoenix.

 ____Sign me up! I will peddle to show my support for jaguar recovery during all or part of the event. I will gladly help with costs for a jaguar T-shirt and other items to be worn or carried by our team while on the Jaguar Bike-A-Thon.

I want to support the Jaguar BAT! I can do so in the following way (s) (check off):        

  ___ give a donation                          ___provide/drive a support vehicle

  ___host cyclists along the route      ____other (please indicate):

Please send your name, address, e-mail, and interests to: Dr. Tony Povilitis, Jaguar Bike-A-Thon:

E-mail: tpovilitis@lifenetnature.org or c/o Janie, 5589 Timken Trail, Willcox, AZ 85643

How To Save The Southwest Jaguar

FOUR ESSENTIAL STEPS

#1. A federal recovery program that will restore the jaguar as a native species of the United States.
 
Like all other endangered species in the US, the Southwest jaguar needs a Recovery Plan. We wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on March 6, 2009  (letter_salazar_3-6-091) calling for precisely that. A month later, we received a letter from Benjamin Tuggle (reply-tuggle4-7-09), a regional director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), who was responding for Secretary Salazar.  But Mr. Tuggle, a party to the Bush-era decision not to help the jaguar, merely stated what we already know: that the USFWS is reviewing the recent court decision by Judge Jon Rolls (US District Court of Arizona) indicating that the Interior Secretary is in violation of the US Endangered Species Act.
 
So, we wrote a second letter to Secretary Salazar ( letter_salazar_4-16-09) explaining why a recovery plan for the jaguar is urgently needed, and that continued legal proceedings should be avoided. We are now trying to arrange a meeting with the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s new director, Mr. Sam Hamilton. This is a matter of national wildlife conservation policy to be decided by Sec. Salazar and Dir. Hamilton. The Obama Administration should not stand idly by and let this issue remain in federal court for who knows how long. 
 
#2. Border security measures that do not prevent jaguar movement between the US and Mexico.
 
We wrote to Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, on January 30, 2009 ( letter_napolitano1-30-09), explaining why a massive border fence was an awful idea given impacts on the jaguar and a host of other reasons, and suggesting the creation of an international conservation area along the border. Mr. Eugene Scheid of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, was kind enough to reply on behalf of Sec. Napolitano (reply_cbp-3-30-09) .
 
Here’s how Mr. Scheid responded to our requests to Janet Napolitano:
 
Our Request: “In collaboration with the President, the Secretary of the Interior, and the US Congress, please work with Mexico to establish an international conservation area along the Arizona/New Mexico and Mexico Border.”
 
His Response: “Establishing a special conservation area…is an effort that would involve a bi-national approach that may require legislative action in conjunction with action by the Department of the Interior. CBP could certainly participate as a cooperating agency in any effort to establish an international conservation area.”
 
Comment: It is great that Mr. Scheid and the CBP is open to this important idea. However, clearly the intiative for a bi-national conservation area will have to come from Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano and Interior Secretary Salazar. So, we again wrote Sec. Napolitano suggesting that she discuss the matter with Sec. Salazar and President Barack Obama, noting that “our proposal is worth careful consideration as it would contribute immensely to the conservation of widlife and natural ecosystems in a priceless ecological area, could generate new opportunities for law enforcement and security on both sides of the border, and would be a concrete as well as symbolic action to help strengthen the US-Mexico relationship.” (Read our letter to Janet Napolitano: Napolitano_letter5-20-09).

 
Our Request: Please end fence construction and begin fence removal where necessary to protect the jaguar and other transnational wildlife.
 
His Response: “This fence is not contiguous and consists of numerous, relatively short segments… the majority of the fence segments constructed are vehicle fence located in more rural areas that do not restrict large animal movement…pedestrian fencing …is generally located in more urban areas where it is unlikely that jaguar movement would occur…While I understand your recommendation…we will complete the fencing currently under contract.”
 
Mr. Scheid also informed us of an agreement between his agency and the US Department of the Interior to “mitigate unavoidable impacts” of fencing on the jaguar and on cultural and natural resources.
 
Comment: It seems that Mr. Scheid may be badly misinformed about the extent of the hugh metalic fence across the border between Arizona and Mexico. We contacted his office for clarification and asked for their map of fencing locations, and for specifics on the anticipated “mitigation” and exactly how it would help the jaguar (CPB_letter5-20-09). We have since received a helpful reply from Mr. Christopher Oh, director of the Environmental Division, US Customs and Border Protection.

Efforts at mitigating border fence impacts on the jaguar should be part of an overall  program for jaguar recovery. We urge Sec. Napolitano to discuss the  need for a jaguar recovery plan with Sec. Salazar, led by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (Napolitano_letter5-20-09).

 
#3. An Arizona Game and Fish Department policy in support of jaguar recovery.
 
Arizona’s state wildlife agency, as well as New Mexico’s, needs to agree to jaguar recovery and begin working towards that end. Our latest call for jaguar recovery is to  Larry Volyes, director of AGFD (letter_l-voyles_4-16-09) asking that him to commit his agency to reestablishing a population of jaguars, noting similar efforts in Arizona on behalf of endangered species such as the black-footed ferret and the Californian condor. We have since asked to meet with Mr. Volyes to discuss jaguar recovery.
 
#4. Suspension of capture related research following the recent death of an Arizona jaguar (Macho B).
 
On March 9, 2009, we wrote to Rowan Gould, then acting director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, asking him to revoke authority to state wildlife agencies to capture jaguar for radio-collaring (letter_usfws_3-9-09).  In lieu of that action, we asked for a complete scientifically based justification for risking the lives of rare jaguars (obviously somewhat rhetorically, as we firmly believe there is none). We received a reply from the agency that fell short.