Oregon Congressman Greg Walden thinks the ESA is a Joke

Republican Rep. Greg Walden, is a Representative from Oregon's 2nd District. An alert from Oregon Wild reports that in an interview from the Republican National Convention, the representative for eastern Oregon told OPB, “as the only Republican from Oregon, I am indeed protected by the ESA.”

While that is not a particularly damning quote, if taken all by itself, we must remember that days earlier, Walden led a charge in the House of Representatives to strip protections for a truly endangered species in Oregon - the gray wolf. Ignoring scientists, ignoring the majority will of your constituents, and eliminating protections for species at risk is bad enough. Making light of the law that you continually seek to undermine is pouring salt on a wound.

Believe it or not, OR-7 and the Rogue Pack were the specific targets of Rep. Walden’s efforts. The amendment that he sponsored and that the House approved stripped existing federal ESA protections for wolves in western Oregon, thereby denying needed safeguards for the only wolf pack west of the Cascades!

We [Oregon Wild] will be raising our collective voice to ensure protections remain for western Oregon wolves and opposing this measure if it is taken up by the Senate. In the meantime, we are also fighting to ensure that Oregon’s wolf management plan – now under review by Oregon officials – *remains strong and keeps wolves on a path to recovery.

* Added note from Rising Storm:
Oregon's current wolf policy is far from strong - far from keeping wolves on a path to recovery and we desperately need public involvement to straighten it out!

Of course, wildlife like wolves can’t survive without wild places to live in. And we know that our public land habitat is under assault like never before. Once again, it’s Rep. Walden looking to undermine the protections that Oregon’s public lands so desperately need. Back in January, while the Malheur occupation was just hours old, Rep. Walden spoke vehemently on the House floor in support of the goals of the Bundy brothers. And we told you earlier this week that extreme anti-public lands Republicans have hijacked the proud legacy of Teddy Roosevelt by making public lands transfers and privatization an official part of the party platform.

Our public lands and wildlife are not a joke. They are a natural legacy to be cared for.

Learn more about Congressman Greg Walden's history of opposing wildlife and environmental conservation here!

Contact Greg Walden

Oregon-2nd, Republican
2185 Rayburn HOB
Washington DC 20515-3702
Phone: (202) 225-6730