Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Charles Kokesh was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pensacola, Florida, for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act by selling two African elephant tusks and for making false accounts of wildlife related to that sale, the Justice Department announced today. Read more
GW: Can I get an Amen!
MISSOULA, Mont. (May 9, 2013)–As the two oldest sportsmen groups with decades of commitment to fundamental wildlife policies, the Boone and Crockett Club and Wildlife Management Institute welcome the initiative of members of the House who have joined to consider the Endangered Species Act. We encourage Democratic members to do likewise and for the two parties to come together on this issue. Read more
Montana’s top wildlife official has said that his agency will thoroughly review a federal rule expected to be published today (Monday) before responding to the forthcoming proposal to list the wolverine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Read more
(Columubs, OH) – On Monday, October 15th, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and its Fund for Animals filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the removal of the Western Great Lakes region wolves from the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). A 60-day notice of intent to sue is a required procedural step before filing a lawsuit against the Service under the Endangered Species Act. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was designed to help the recovery of endangered or threatened animal species. One of the success stories has landed home – literally – as one of the world’s rarest birds, a lone whooping crane, has been spotted recently in Shiawassee County. In year 1941 only 23 of these birds were known to exist in the entire world, but today some 437 of North America’s tallest birds are alive.
Although there’s room to debate how taxpayer dollars are spent, who’d argue against such a noble endeavor to save one of our most magnificent species? Certainly, no politician would risk the ire of voters by diverting funds meant to save animals from extinction, but behind the scenes, legislation to introduce transparency in accounting for such funds has stalled without ever coming to a vote in the U.S. Senate, led by Harry Reid (D-Nevada). Read more
This from HumaneWatch…
We have another update in the decade-plus-long litigation drama involving several animal rights groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, involving their alleged racketeering scheme against Feld Entertainment, owner of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
You may recall that in late 2009, animal rights groups saw their legal offensive against the circus tossed out of federal court by United States District Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, Feld filed a suit against the animal rights groups alleging injuries under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the same law that’s been used to bust mobsters. Very saucy. On July 9, Sullivan denied most of the requests for a motion to dismiss brought by the defendants. Feld’s RICO suit will move forward. Read more
Nancy Warren, an animal activist who lives in the western U.P., said Great Lakes wolves are still vulnerable to disease and starvation. “If wolves are living in the forests, raising their pups and not causing any problems, I see no reason why they can’t be left alone,” Warren said.
Farmers would like to end the disease and starvation issues for wolves by feeding them some nice, hot lead. More here…
A planned multimillion-dollar Interstate 96 interchange in Livingston County, Michigan faces a roadblock: bats. The construction project cannot continue during the breeding season of the federally protected critters, that make plentiful dead trees their homes. More here…
(Columbus, Ohio) – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that gray wolf populations in the Western Great Lakes region have exceeded recovery goals and should no longer be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Once official, this move will return wolves to state management in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and some portions of adjoining states.
In an even bigger victory for sportsmen, the Service also announced that it has reversed its previous view that two wolf species exist in the Western Great Lakes region. Read more
“Somebody” at the White House made sure that congressional “negotiators” withdrew a rider that would have prevented environmentalists to sue as part of a pending agreement to, once and for all, remove Wyomning wolves from the endangered species list. It now appears as though the whackos will have veto power, once again.
As always, it will be emotion trumping science with the aid of any technicality that can be used advantageously. And, these animal rightists, who claim to be helping animals, continue to drain governmental funds through lawsuit after lawsuit.
The give and take are part of the government’s $1 trillion spending bill. Legislative approval is still needed for the agreement on Wyoming’s wolves. More deatails at the link here…