Vermont for Wildlife
Action Alert February 18, 2019
Action Alert from VermontForWildlife (formerly IvoryFreeVermont)
Dear Citizen Activists,
We hope you are well and ready to roll up your sleeves once again. The time is now and we need your passion for elephants and other wildlife more than ever!
We are energized to tell you that we have been working hard organizing an incredible group of legislative champions. We currently have two identical bills in Montpelier, H.99 in the House and S.29 in the Senate. These amazing bills will ban the sales in the state of Vermont of animal products from 14 of the world's most majestic and massively vulnerable species. We are going beyond just elephants and rhinos to also include cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus, jaguar, leopard, lion, pangolin, ray, sea turtle, shark, tiger, and whale (and mammoth and mastodon given the huge amount of ivory that is poached and then called mammoth and mastodon). These are not just the most noble creatures on the planet, they are among the most highly-trafficked. Indeed, this push is about stopping illegal wildlife trafficking, and, when looking at these species, science has proven that the legal market serves as cover for the illegal one, perpetuating the slaughter.
While parts of the Endangered Species Act are being dismantled on the federal level as we type, we here in Vermont have more power than we think. We can say no more to any trade within our state borders that is bringing these species ever closer to extinction. Your voice reaching out to legislators all around the state is what will get us to the finish line so that we can join the now 9 other states with similar laws on the books.
So, here’s how you can help:
1.Visit www.vermontforwildlife.org to read about the bill, information on why it’s needed, and how you can help.
2. Write your legislators, post to Front Porch Forum, post on social media, write a letter to your local paper, contact a teacher and invite them to learn more about this critical push or suggest they make it a class-wide effort! You can find your legislators here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/
3. Email the members of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs, where Bill S.29 is currently waiting for a hearing, and ask them to: "Please advance Bill S.29 to the top of your agenda. I stand behind this critical legislation and we are looking to you to help pass it swiftly.” Their email addresses are:
4. Tell everyone you know to sign up for these Action Alerts (if you are receiving this email today 2/8/19 from VermontForWildlife, then you are already on our list). To sign up, your friends just need to email: vermontforwildlife@gmail.com to add their name to the list. Please forward this email to 10 friends ALL AROUND VERMONT. In order to pass this bill, we need folks from all 14 Vermont counties to express their support. Share with them this kid-powered video (https://youtu.be/owySfvSbVXo) and ask them to sign up for Action Alerts, too.
5. Learn more about the need to stop wildlife trafficking and why Vermont has a role to play. You can check out and share this article written by Ashley Prout McAvey, co-founder of IvoryFreeVermont and founder of VermontForWildlife, on the importance of state bans on ivory. https://medium.com/@tusktaskforce/seven-down-forty-three-to-go-975e8cc0dabe.
6. Register to attend Humane Lobby Day on February 26th. This annual event will bring together animal advocates from across the state to lobby for animal protection legislation, including S.29 and H.99.
While your own words are always the best, you can find a letter template here:
https://www.vermontforwildlife.org/sample-letter/
And below is a sample of what you can write for a quick Front Porch Forum type blurb:
Vermont Friends!
Please take action and help stop the sale of imperiled wildlife! Stop extinction- it starts in Vermont! Join the 9 other states that have already taken action! Contact your specific Vermont State Senators and ask them to support S.29 to restrict the sale in Vermont of products and parts of the most at-risk species including cheetah, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, jaguar, leopard, lion, pangolin, ray, rhinoceros, sea turtle, shark, tiger, and whale. Contact your specific Vermont House Representatives and ask them to support H.99 which is the identical House version of the Senate bill. Find your legislators here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/
Thank you, Friends! United for wildlife!