Save all wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico

We all want as many wildlife as possible rescued from the BP oil spill disaster. Unfortunately, BP and the government are not doing enough to rescue injured wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

Although wildlife rescuers are working tirelessly, there are too few people, resources and boats to find and save all wildlife in this vast area. In addition, rules and red tape are stopping qualified wildlife rescuers from helping to save oiled birds, turtles, whales and other wildlife.

Please join us in calling on BP and the federal government to do everything they can to save all wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/ U.S. Coast Guard.

Subject:

Your Letter:

I am appalled that BP cleanup efforts do not rescue all wildlife encountered during the oil spill cleanup in Gulf of Mexico waters. I urge you to increase the number of personnel, resources and boats to rescue all wildlife encountered in oil spill operations and transport them immediately to one of the many rehabilitation centers available.

It is of the utmost urgency that government agencies be armed with the resources they need in order to address the impacts of the oil spill on our ocean, coasts and wildlife. Please ensure that environmental emergency responders and monitors, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, have the appropriate resources to act in a timely and effective manner to save wildlife and their habitat. Please move quickly to protect important fisheries, critical wildlife habitat such as National Wildlife Refuges and endangered species such as sperm whales, sea turtles, brown pelicans and least tern.

Federal and State agencies do not have enough trained people to adequately monitor and respond to the wildlife impacts. We need more monitors and observers at sea and on land with knowledge and adherence to protocols to recover and document wildlife. To increase the response times and improve survival rates for injured wildlife, we must increase the number of trained personnel rescuing wildlife encountered in oil spill operations.

The joint command must establish reasonable and meaningful criteria immediately to allow qualified non-governmental professional and para-professional personnel access to enter and help in response and recovery efforts, and emergency hiring and contracting should be expedited. I urge you to immediately grant permission to wildlife professionals and non-profit organization staff to lead additional teams and boats to recover wildlife from the oil spill.

BP must be held accountable for killing endangered species and destroying their habitats. Dead and injured wildlife should be found and documented. Federal agencies should be sharing all available data on which species are being collected by response teams. BP must cover all costs of government and NGO-supported rescue and recovery operations.

President Barack Obama

Phone:(202) 456-1111

Fax:(202) 456-2461

Secretary Sally Jewell

Department of the Interior

Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank

Department of Commerce

Dr. Jane Lubchenco

NOAA Administrator

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