Fw: You Can Help Save The Grizzly

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Title: Endangered Species Act Fund Appeal

Dear Club Supporter, Help us ensure the survival of one of America's wildest, most irreplaceable animals -- the grizzly bear. In recent weeks I've told you about the Congressional attacks on the Endangered Species Act but now the Bush Administration is going one step further and proposing that the grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone Park be removed from the list of endangered and threatened animals. Please help us prevent this! We need 120,000 names on our petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by February 15 to help keep the grizzlies on the list of endangered and threatened animals.     Please also send a generous donation to help us save the grizzly -- your donation will help the Club and our work to protect the grizzly bear and keep Congress from undermining the Endangered Species Act. Since 1975, the Endangered Species Act has worked to protect these magnificent animals. For 30 years the public has invested tremendous time and energy into improving the chances of the grizzly bears' survival -- and that work has started to pay off, increasing the number of grizzlies in the U.S. from a meager 150 to about 600 today. But this small number of bears is still only 1 percent of its former population, and they are trying to survive on less than 2 percent of their former habitat. Delisting grizzly bears at a time when their population is still so small and their range is so limited could have devastating effects. Removing these protections will put the last remnants of the wild places grizzlies need to fully recover and raise their young at risk -- from irresponsible logging, oil and gas drilling, as well as from road building and sprawling development which threatens their food supplies and increases the likelihood of human-bear contact. With your help the Sierra Club will work to protect these majestic creatures as well as other threatened wildlife and wildlands. The grizzly bear is an irreplaceable part of America's natural heritage, a symbol of the independence that defines the American character and an icon of all that is wild and free. Yes, the American people have worked hard and long to restore the grizzly. But the job is not finished and never will be if we remove them from the Endangered Species list or weaken the Act itself. Please send a much needed donation today -- your funds will help the Sierra Club and its efforts to defend the grizzly bear and the Endangered Species Act, as well as our other critical efforts to protect America's wildlife, wildlands, air and water. Sincerely, Carl Pope Executive Director P.S. We need your urgent help -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could be deciding the fate of the grizzly bear in the next few weeks. We must be ready to fight them with everything we've got. Giving online saves time and paper, and is completely secure.     Photos used with permission.   Sierra Club 85 Second St. San Francisco, CA 94105 To unsubscribe, click here