Fairfax, VA- Last week, in D.C. federal district court, the National Rifle Association (NRA) moved to intervene in an anti-hunting lawsuit filed by Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The NRA is partnering with Safari Club International (SCI) in this effort. The suit by HSUS and affiliated anti-hunting groups seeks to reverse federal delisting of the Western Great Lakes gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act.
“This is yet another example of an anti-hunting group that seeks to ban any and all forms of hunting while demonizing hunters and disregarding the best interests of wildlife,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. “NRA will not sit idly by while they attempt to bring to an end our country’s rich hunting heritage.”
The wolf populations in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have far exceeded the original numbers set by the federal government after reintroduction as a measure of when it would be appropriate to delist.
The true measure of the success of the Endangered Species Act is when a population is delisted. Radical anti-hunting groups like HSUS cannot be allowed to jeopardize future reintroduction efforts around the country by making it nearly impossible for state game agencies to manage populations once they have recovered.
“The gray wolf is a valuable component of our nation's ecosystem. However wolf populations have proliferated. Conservation through sound management is now the appropriate stage for these wolves,” concluded Cox. “States should be allowed to manage the burgeoning populations through hunting. Without hunting as a conservation management tool, there is a risk of increasing conflicts between man and wolf. This will prove detrimental to both.”
-NRA-
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.