Enviros allowed in Wyoming wolf lawsuit
By NICK GEVOCK, Chronicle Staff Writer
A coalition of environmental groups asked a federal judge Thursday to be
allowed to help defend the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service against the
state of Wyoming’s wolf recovery lawsuit.
U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson immediately granted the request
from five groups to intervene on behalf of FWS. The state of Wyoming filed
suit after its plan to manage wolves was rejected by FWS.
Wyoming wants to allow uncontrolled killing of wolves in most parts of the
state.
The environmental groups said in a press release that Wyoming was “trigger
happy” to sue FWS.
“Wyoming has chosen a sort of maverick approach,” Tom France, an attorney
with the National Wildlife Federation, said Thursday in a telephone
interview. “This litigation is really taking us further away from wolf
delisting and state management.”
Federal officials have said wolves in the northern Rockies will be removed
from the Endangered Species List once Montana, Idaho and Wyoming all have
acceptable plans to manage them. Montana and Idaho’s plans have already
been accepted.
But when FWS rejected Wyoming’s plan, which classified wolves outside
national parks and wilderness areas as “predators” and allowed them to be
killed indiscriminately, the state sued.
Wyoming argued FWS’ rejection of the plan was based not on concerns it
didn’t adequately protect wolves, but rather on fear of lawsuits from
environmental groups.
Wyoming Chief Deputy Attorney General Liz Gagen said the coalition alerted
the state of its plans to intervene in the case. The state has no plans to
drop its lawsuit, she said.
Along with NWF, the coalition includes the Greater Yellowstone Coalition,
Predator Conservation Alliance, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and
Wyoming Outdoor Council.
Wyoming’s plan was rebuffed by FWS because of the predator designation,
its failure to ensure at least 15 packs will remain in the state and its
lack of a scientific method to define a pack, Predator Conservation
Alliance spokesman Jon Schwedler said.
Furthermore, Wyoming had ample warning from federal officials its plan
wouldn’t pass muster, but charged ahead anyway, he said.
The state received at least three letters, including one from FWS Director
Steven Williams, warning the plan would be refused, Schwedler said.
Wyoming drafted its plan at the behest of ranchers, who demanded the tough
language on wolves, France said. Then the Wyoming Legislature passed a
law, again after heavy lobbying by ranchers, designating wolves predators.
“During the planning process they told the conservation community to take
a hike,” France said. “They weren’t interested in compromising.”