In the guest column in the Missoulian on Wednesday, July 18, Mark Holyoak, Public Relations Director for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, espoused the benefits of trapping as a ‘management tool’ and requested that science and biology be used in managing wildlife.
When he was anchorperson for KPAX News, Mark Holyoak did a two-night report on the study of the high levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals found by the USGS in the snow, lake water, foliage and fish (males with female and male sex organs) in Glacier Park and the possible connection to the extremely high prevalence of symptoms of endocrine disruption in grazing animals in Western Montana. The primary symptom is disruption of the fetal thyroid hormones during embryonic and fetal development, resulting in high mortality in affected young, consequent wildlife population declines and serious health issues in human children.
Each year between 1997 and 2007, we issued an end of the year report of prevalence of fetal thyroid hormone disruption on grazing animals, including elk calves and beef calves, to the RMEF biologist. In 2007, he stated that the RMEF was not going to do anything about the symptoms we reported to him.
Developing human fetuses are affected similarly to the wildlife. Apparently RMEF receives more money for promoting the barbaric practice of trapping than for asking the EPA to find what is causing developmental malformations. A real conservation organization would do something to protect future generations of wildlife and the next generation of children from being born with debilitating epigenetic changes.
Why won’t RMEF ask the EPA to do testing? Why won’t the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks ask the EPA to do testing? Will any of you reading this letter ask the EPA to test the snow, rain, surface water and foliage for endocrine disrupting toxins? If you are concerned for the health of
newborn children and all other newborn animals you should contact James B. Martin, 1-303-312-6308, email address r8eisc@epa.gov. Mr. Martin is head of EPA Region 8 in Denver, Colorado. The EPA might pay attention if a lot of people asked them to do testing.
Judy Hoy
Stevensville