Safari Club International (SCI) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have moved to intervene and moved to dismiss three lawsuits challenging the removal of gray wolves from the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) lists.
Readers will remember our March 22nd report on three groups of anti-hunting organizations filing separate suits in the US District Court for the Northern District of California with intent to overturn the gray wolf delisting by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. The suits claim that wolves have not recovered across the vast majority of their former range throughout the United States and that the delisting will harm the wolf populations of the Pacific Northwest.
Removing gray wolves from the ESA transfers management of the species to state wildlife departments. In their motions to dismiss, SCI and the NRA argue that the wolf populations in the states where plaintiffs have identified members or programs, such as California, Oregon and Washington, are not negatively affected by the delisting. These wolves are protected under the endangered species laws or wolf management programs of these states. In fact, none of the states where plaintiffs have members or programs plan any management actions that would decrease their wolf populations. For this reason, SCI and the NRA point out that the plaintiffs have not shown that they, or their members, are personally injured in a concrete manner by the delisting and thus have no standing to challenge it.
SCI is the only hunting-focused organization challenging the wolf lawsuits and will continue working to keep the gray wolf under the management of state wildlife departments. With its headquarters located in Washington, DC and a staff of litigators, government relations specialists and experienced wildlife biologists, SCI continually advocates for hunters and sustainable use conservation. See how SCI has intervened for hunters at state, federal and international levels and learn more about SCI’s advocacy work at https://safariclub.org/hunting-advocacy/. Non-members who wish to support SCI’s advocacy work may do so with an earmarked donation at https://safariclub.org/donate.
As a member benefit, SCI members can receive alerts about issues affecting them by signing up with the Hunter Advocacy Action Center (HAAC). The HAAC makes it easy for members to contact their lawmakers regarding hunting-related legislation.
Membership to SCI also includes access to SCI’s Hunter Hotline and Hunter Information Service, providing assistance with hunting travel questions and researching hunting opportunities. Members also get insurance discounts, access to the SCI Record Book, and the ability to attend SCI’s exclusive annual hunting convention, the most comprehensive hunting show out there. Join SCI today at https://safariclub.org/membership/.
