On August 2, a federal district court in Missoula will hear final arguments in a case challenging Wildlife Services’ practice of killing grizzly bears in Montana. The plaintiffs say the program has inadequately analyzed how these slayings may harm the grizzly bear population and its recovery.
The hearing before Federal District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine whether Wildlife Services, a wildlife-killing program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act before killing or removing grizzly bears in Montana. The court could:
- Require more thorough analysis of how killing bears affects the population at large and its long-term viability,
- Halt via injunction Wildlife Services’ killing of grizzly bears in Montana (or transfer of grizzly bears to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks for killing) except in the case of demonstrated risks to human safety, and/or
- Impose an injunction against the use of traps, snares, or poisons that have the potential to harm or kill grizzly bears during the non-denning season in Montana.
The groups challenging Wildlife Services’ grizzly killings include WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project, and Trap Free Montana, represented by the Western Environmental Law Center.
Members of the media are invited to attend this hearing to gain insights into the legal proceedings and to report on the potential consequences of the case’s outcome. Key stakeholders, legal experts, and environmental advocates will be present to provide comments and answer questions.
Date: August 2, 2024
Time: 9:00 am MT
Location: Russell Smith Federal Courthouse, 201 E. Broadway, Missoula, MT 59802
Background
Wildlife Services kills hundreds of thousands of native wild animals every year nationwide, including native carnivores. In Montana, Wildlife Services kills wildlife, including grizzly bears, by shooting them from aircraft or from the ground, strangling them with neck snares, capturing them in traps (including baited traps), and poisoning them. Grizzly bears are a federally listed threatened species in the lower 48 states, with a population of less than 2,000, primarily living in two core areas: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Recovery of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states depends on establishing connectivity between these and other isolated populations (such as the Cabinet-Yaak) and restoring populations in areas such as the Bitterroot, where colonizers eradicated local grizzly populations. Recovery also depends upon reducing human-caused mortality, including management removals, which is the leading cause of grizzly bear mortality.
Contacts:
Matthew Bishop, Western Environmental Law Center, (406) 324-8011,
Lizzy Pennock, WildEarth Guardians, (406) 830-8924,
Patrick Kelly, Western Watersheds Project, (208) 576-4314,
KC York, Trap Free Montana, (406) 218-1170,
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