Published in Whitehorse Star, August 1. Yukon News, August 8.

Open letter to the new Environment Minister Elaine Taylor.

Wolves are legally murdered in the Yukon from August 1- March 31. Alpha male, alpha female, pregnant wolves and wolf pups are all targets! And now you are permiting local hunters to murder 7 wolves each (up from three), and non-resident killers can murder two wolves each.Your department has not released the official report behind this decisions to kill even more wolves (and other animals).

We (the public) have a right to know the rationale behind your decision to kill more wolves. Is it because wolves are considered competition for hunters? It's ironic that we allow people to kill wolves because we view them as competition, since they eat moose and caribou. Instead, we could stop hunting entirely and let the wolves take what they need to survive. We don't need to hunt to survive.

Wolves have a right to live out their own lives. They play an important role in the health and diversity of the ecosystem.

Let them be!

Mike Grieco