GOOD NEWS FOR BELUGAS

Dear reader, In response to a Center for Biological Diversity legal action, the federal government today stopped dragging its feet and formally proposed to protect 3,000 square miles of ocean for the critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale. That's almost two million acres! I want to thank you for all you did to bring this about. Your willingness to speak out -- more than 150,000 supporting letters were sent by Center supporters -- was instrumental in this victory. The Center's been fighting for the vanishing white whales of Cook Inlet for years, battling industrial development, oil and gas drilling, boondoggle bridges, and, up until recently, going-rogue/going-crazy ex-Governor Sarah Palin. With a population between 300 and 400 animals -- down from approximately 1,300 in the 1980s -- the Cook Inlet beluga is hovering on the brink. Today's announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a major victory and will give the whales a fighting chance at survival. Of course, the fight's not over yet: We'll need your help very soon to speak up during the public comment period. We have to make sure this proposal gets finalized and the belugas get the habitat they really need. Again, thanks so much for what you've already done to help Cook Inlet's belugas. And please, stay tuned. Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity P.S. Here's a map of the critical habitat proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Beluga photo (c) Martin Tiller, MCT Images. Donate now to support our work. The Center for Biological Diversity sends newsletters and action alerts through DemocracyinAction.org. Let us know if you'd like to change your email list preferences or stop receiving action alerts and newsletters from us. Change your address or review your profile here. Center for Biological Diversity P.O. Box 710 Tucson, AZ 85702 1-866-357-3349 www.BiologicalDiversity.org