PRESS STATEMENT

Action Fund President Responds to Governor Palin's Statement

The following is a statement from President of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Rodger Schlickeisen, in response to Governor Palin's statement about www.eyeonpalin.org and the campaign to end aerial killing of wolves in Alaska.

"As we've seen before, what you often get in response from Governor Palin when she is challenged is not a rational defense of what she's doing, but rather name calling and a very transparent attempt at spin control. But then again, since there is no defense for her aerial wolf slaughter program, it may be that she feels there really isn't much else she can do.

"Governor Palin speaks of 'science' supporting her aerial killing program, but in spite of numerous requests, they have never produced anything even resembling reasonable scientific justification. Her state agencies have not carefully monitored predator populations and have not even provided evidence that the aerial killing is accomplishing their own stated objectives. Literally hundreds of wildlife scientists have repeatedly condemned her program and she has not once provided any evidence to refute their charges that what she is doing is unscientific.

"And if the Governor is so concerned about making sure Alaskans living at the margin have enough to eat, as her statement claims, why then does she force Alaska subsistence hunters to compete with other resident and out-of-state hunters for the supposedly scarce meat in the killing areas? Also, why has she consistently opposed adoption of 'rural preference', which would give subsistence hunters priority access to moose and caribou in these areas?

"Deception and deflection are all that that Governor Palin has ever offered in place of justification for her aerial killing program. By calling us 'extremists' she is suggesting that our opposition to her policies and actions is out of step with the way the majority of Americans view her brutal, unethical wildlife slaughter. But it is she who is the extremist in this case. And she knows it."

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The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.