Wolf hunt strongly opposed

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected released a statement Thursday saying the group is “deeply disappointed with the Natural Resources Commission’s decision to declare wolves a game species for a second time in Michigan – a move that will allow the fragile species to be hunted this fall, despite a citizen referendum that qualified for the November 2014 ballot and suspended the first wolf hunting law until Michigan voters can decide on the issue.”

“The voters of Michigan–not politicians and bureaucrats–should have their voices heard on whether our state’s fragile wolf population is needlessly hunted for trophies,” said Jill Fritz, director of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected. “The NRC should have delayed a decision until the November 2014 election and let the democratic process play out as intended. Instead they have thumbed their noses at Michigan voters and told them their opinions don’t matter.”

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected says it will continue its efforts to give Michiganders the right to have their voices heard on the wolf issue. It’s important that voters maintain an independent check and balance against unaccountable political decisions and extremist special interest groups who want to slaughter wolves.

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected submitted language on July 2 to launch a second referendum campaign after the Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder circumvented the will of Michigan voters by approving a bill that empowers the NRC, in addition to the legislature, to add wolves to the list of game species. A regulatory committee’s action cannot be overturned by voter referendum. This second bill circumvents the first ballot referendum that was certified for the November 2014 ballot allowing voters to overturn a 2012 law creating a wolf trophy hunting and trapping season.

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected is aiming to collect at least 225,000 signatures in the second referendum to qualify for the November 2014 ballot.