FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE
Continually playing defense is a game plan for defeat , which is one reason the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance has created our in-house Office of Litigation . It ’ s time to go on the offense and to compel a return to sanity when it comes to managing wildlife and protecting hunting .
As you might remember , last summer we filed our own petition with USFWS that provided a blueprint to managing wolves nationwide . Our two-pronged approach satisfied all court orders , which would allow the state management of recovered populations while maintaining protections for new and still-growing populations .
First , we requested the service recognize wolves in the Western Great Lakes as a distinct population segment ( DPS ) and delist them and , secondly , exercise specific management options concerning remnant wolf populations existing outside of the Great Lakes and Rocky Mountains — including the creation of a West Coast DPS encompassing wolves in central and western Washington and Oregon , and Northern California .
Unfortunately , our petitions fell on deaf ears and the government never even bothered to acknowledge our proposals , much less act on or deny them . Because of this silent treatment and lack of action , the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance has again filed a notice of intent to sue in order to hold the government accountable and will update our members and supporters as this legal action proceeds . could be listed under the ESA and that wolves in the broader western United States , while qualifying as a distinct population , do not warrant listing under the ESA . The service supported the decision by noting that “ now and into the foreseeable future , wolves are likely to retain a healthy level of abundance ” throughout the western United States .
CBD et al ., in typical fashion , has chosen to waste taxpayer dollars and government resources to line their pockets while pushing their radical ideology by filing suit . The lawsuit alleges that the service failed to rely on the best available science when denying their petition , but population estimates of wolves throughout the West illustrate that FWS ’ decision was sound .
The fact of the matter is , these animalrights extremists never want to see wolves or grizzly bears ( or any other animal for that matter ) managed through hunting or any other proactive means , despite the growing populations and expanding ranges of predators across the West . Despite natural expansion and reintroduced populations , activist organizations continue to abuse the ESA in their effort to keep clearly recovered populations protected in perpetuity — which , of course , allows them to fundraise millions of dollars with emotional appeals and legal actions where they are allowed under the ESA to recover attorney ’ s fees from the American taxpayer .
The Sportsmen ’ s Alliance has fought these extremists in court at every turn for decades , and this fight is no different . To ensure the sportsman ’ s voice is heard through the rhetoric , and that the government listens to the concerns of hunters , anglers and trappers in any potential settlement , we filed for and received intervenor status in the lawsuit . Now , the court must consider our views and how this will impact your lifestyle and livelihood .
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