Press Release
In Upstate New York, Defenders Action Fund Exposes Another Side to Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin
WASHINGTON – Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund today announced the next phase of its "Eye on Palin" campaign: TV ads to be aired during Auburn's Alaska-themed Founders' Day Event where Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is expected to appear, despite recent conflicting statements from her office.
The annual event run by Seward House, celebrates William Seward who as Secretary of State spearheaded the purchase of Alaska in 1867. This year, the event has been given an Alaska theme, to coincide with the state's 50th anniversary of statehood. The TV ad, featuring actress and activist Ashley Judd, exposes another side to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, focusing on Palin's continued promotion of the aerial hunting of wolves including footage of an aerial wolf hunt.
"While Sarah Palin suffers a series of false starts and u-turns on her trips to the Lower 48, we will continue to educate the American public on her appalling anti-wildlife record in Alaska. Watching this TV ad, residents of Auburn will see for themselves what Sarah Palin is truly about and how her policies damage Alaska's natural heritage," commented Defenders Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen. "Despite all the scientific evidence showing that their habitat is melting beneath them, Palin has filed a lawsuit opposing the protection of polar bears under the Endangered Species Act. She has even announced her intention to legally oppose the protection of beluga whales too. Is nothing sacred?"
The "Eye on Palin" campaign was launched in February this year to track and expose Governor Palin's increasingly extreme record on wildlife and conservation in Alaska. In the months since www.eyeonpalin.org launched, Palin's administration and the Board of Game she appoints have approved, among many things, the use of helicopters by private hunters to shoot wolves and the use of poison gas to kill wolves and their pups in their dens. The TV ad will air during cable news broadcasts from Wednesday, June 3 until Sunday, June 7.
"Alaska may be known by many in the Lower 48 for its pristine wilderness and wildlife, but Governor Palin has shown no respect for or interest in preserving her state's most treasured assets," continued Schlickeisen. "While there are many reasons to celebrate and honor the half century of Alaska's statehood in Auburn this week, there are few for honoring Governor Palin."
###
The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.
Contact:
William Lutz (202) 772-0269
Jessica Brand (202) 772-0239
