Safari Club International Continues Fight to Keep Wolves Delisted
Washington, D.C. –-(Ammoland.com)- Safari Club International (SCI) moved forward today in its fight to represent hunters in the constitutional challenge to wolf delisting legislation.
The motion filed today by SCI, together with the National Rifle Association (NRA), asks Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court for Montana to reconsider his decision to exclude SCI and NRA from the latest lawsuit over the status of the wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
After Congress passed a law directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue the 2009 rule delisting the wolves of Montana, Idaho and portions of Oregon, Utah and Washington, two groups of plaintiffs brought suit, challenging the constitutionality of the new legislation. Judge Molloy denied intervention to the suit to all applicants, including the states of Idaho and Montana as well as non-governmental groups such as SCI and NRA. The judge decided that the federal government would adequately represent the interests of all.
Today, SCI and NRA asked the court to reconsider its intervention ruling. SCI and NRA presented the court with evidence that the government could not sufficiently represent their interests, in the form of unique and essential arguments that were absent from the government’s own briefing. SCI and NRA intend to use these arguments in defense of the constitutionality of the wolf delisting law.
“SCI is committed to representing our members and the hunting community generally in this latest challenge to wolf delisting,” said SCI President Kevin Anderson. “With our long and consistent history in wolf litigation and our knowledge of federal and environmental law, we deserve a seat at the table to help defend Congress’ efforts to end the prolonged and unnecessary battle to recognize wolf recovery and return the species to state management.”
Contact: Nelson Freeman, Media@safariclub.org
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