The Wandering Wolf Claim

The Arizona-based CBD sent a notice of intent to sue to the U . S . Forest Service ( USFS ) for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act ( ESA ) due to the hunting of gray wolves in Wyoming ’ s Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest . This national forest straddles the border with Colorado .

CBD argues that USFS failed to consult with the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service ( USFWS ) on management of wolves , which the extremist group alleges is required under the ESA . In this case , CBD claims that because wolves are protected in Colorado but migrate across the border to Wyoming , such wolves must

be protected at all times and anywhere they might travel , including when they ’ ve reached an area where wolves are delisted and managed hunting takes place .

As a highly migratory species , wolves can easily cover 30 miles or more a day . Indeed , the canines had already traveled from other states and taken up residency in Colorado before Proposition 114 passed and mandated reintroduction protocols . CBD ’ s argument , if successful , would turn all wolf management upside down as the radicals could claim individual animals protected in Colorado can travel well beyond the border with Wyoming to Idaho , Montana and any other Western state where hunting is allowed or could be opened in the future .

This potential lawsuit is a perfect example of how CBD is making tens of millions of dollars at the expense of taxpayers while abusing the ESA and our legal system .

The Harassment of Houndsmen Petition

Not content with hamstringing management in the West , CBD filed a petition to ban the use of dogs for

hunting on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin . The petition seeks to ban the hunting of black bears , wolves , coyotes , foxes and bobcats with the aid of dogs .

Once again , the ultra-aggressive CBD isn ’ t happy with harassing houndsmen in just Wisconsin ; it wants to lock up the entire nation ’ s management of predators . “ I hope this petition pushes the Forest Service to finally take a stand against this state-sanctioned abuse of our federal public lands ,” said one CBD official .

As we see in multiple fights across the nation , CBD tries to leverage hunters as a minority stakeholder to ban activities on public lands . Until now , CBD has largely restricted its anti-hunting push to national wildlife refuges and national park lands . With nearly 200 million acres nationwide , much of it open to hunting , national forests are a key access point for hunters in nearly every state .

When USFS makes a decision on how to proceed with the petition , the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance will be there to defend houndsmen and hunting on public lands .

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