Advocates plan rally to take place at gray wolf delisting hearing Tuesday

https://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/government-and-politics/4629158-advocates-plan-rally-take-place-gray-wolf-delisting-hearing

Wolf advocates plan to rally at 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 25, in Brainerd, just before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's public hearing on a Trump administration proposal to end federal protection for nearly all gray wolves in the lower 48 states.

According to a news release, the Fish and Wildlife Service is providing one public hearing and open house on its nationwide wolf delisting proposal. That hearing, beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Franklin Arts Center, will be preceded by a rally for wolves featuring speakers and advocates with signs. Organizers invite area residents to join them.

Proceedings include the open house 5-6:30 p.m. and the public hearing slated for 6:30-9 p.m.

"We're speaking out and fighting back against this heartless plan to strip protection away from wolves," stated Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in the release. "Wolves in Minnesota and other states would be vulnerable to hunting and trapping if this proposal moves forward, but we won't let that happen."