If you are a reader of this blog, you know that my friends Helen Mcginnis and Chris Spatz are key leaders of COUGAR REWILDING,,,,,contributing articles and perspectives on what is happening next in the Mountain Lions quest to recolonize it's former home all across the Americas....................Another strong advocate of Cougar re-wilding is the California based :THE MOUNTAIN LION FOUNDATION................Information on their mission is stated in the paragraphs below

Mountain Lion Foundation

The Mountain Lion Foundation: and What it Believes THE MOUNTAIN LION FOUNDATION is a national nonprofit conservation and education organization dedicated to increasing understanding of and protection for mountain lions and their habitat. 1.  The Mountain Lion Foundation was instrumental in the passage of the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 (Proposition 117). This landmark legislation permanently bans the sport hunting of cougars in California, restricts depredation killing of cougars, and sets aside $30 million of State funds annually until 2020 for the acquisition of critical habitat for mountain lions, deer, endangered species, riparian and wetland habitats, and landscape linkages. (See Proposition 117 -- The Mountain Lion Initiative for more information.) 2.  The Mountain Lion Foundation opposes the sport hunting of mountain lions on the grounds that it is biologically and morally unjustified. Sport hunting of mountain lions is neither a legitimate wildlife management technique nor a morally justified recreational activity. (See MLFs Effects of Sport Hunting Mountain Lions on Safety and Livestock  for more information.) 3.  The Mountain Lion Foundation believes the a critical threat facing cougars, and other wildlife is loss of habitat, and that habitat acquisition, enhancement, restoration, and protection must be priorities in any cougar management program. (See a listing of critical habitat acquired as a direct result of Proposition 117.) 4.  The Mountain Lion Foundation believes there is a critical need for expanded research of the cougars biology, ecology, and behavior. As a predator that sits high in the food chain and has a wide distribution, the cougar is a key indicator of the environmental health of the variety of habitats in which it lives. Increased knowledge of the cougar can also benefit the other wildlife and plants in its habitat. 5.  The Mountain Lion Foundation is opposed to general depredation programs that arbitrarily destroy cougars as pests, and believes prevention of depredation through better animal husbandry practices is the best approach. Specific depredation can be effectively addressed through non-lethal means. (See MLFs 4 Simple Steps to Help Mountain Lions by Keeping pets and Livestock Safe.) 6.  The Mountain Lion Foundation believes that while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not recognize any western subspecies of Puma concolor as endangered or threatened, the status of the species as a whole is very much in question. While some populations seem healthy, three subspecies are listed as endangered, two other subspecies are candidates for listing, two cougar populations in southern California are on the edge of extirpation (becoming extinct in a localized area), and the true status of mountain lions in Mexico, Central and South America is unknown. 7.  The Mountain Lion Foundation conducts active conservation programs to protect mountain lions, acquire and protect wildlife habitat, prevent poaching, rebuild government wildlife agencies to reflect broader environmental concerns, introduce extirpated wildlife to suitable habitat and preserve our nations rich wildlife heritage.    Mountain Lion Foundation PO Box 1896 Sacramento, CA 95812 916-442-2666      800-319-7621 www.mountainlion.org