New Lawsuit Challenges Montana’s Horrific Wolf Trapping Program That May Also Harm Threatened Canadian Lynx

The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today of its intent to sue over the permitting of a Montana wolf pelt export program that may harm threatened Canadian lynx.

Today’s notice says that the Service failed to consider new threats to the rare lynx from Montana’s 2021 wolf regulations, which extended the state’s wolf trapping season and allowed snaring on private and public lands.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service ignored the fact that Montana’s horrifying new trapping regulations have widespread environmental consequences, including harming rare and beautiful lynx,” said Sophia Ressler, an attorney at the Center. “Allowing even more of Montana’s wolves to be trapped and tortured puts lynx and other wildlife in the crosshairs of the state’s war on wolves. That’s simply unacceptable.”

Wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains have come under increased attack in the last several years with the passage of extreme legislation allowing indiscriminate killing methods, high hunting quotas, trapping expansion, and other measures that decimate the population.

“Being able to export wolves puts a greater demand on killing them,” said KC York, president and founder of Trap Free Montana. “Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Fish and Wildlife Commission were aware of wolf regulations in place to try to avoid trapping lynx, which granted the 2014 Montana wolf export permit. Yet, they exacerbated the passage of 2021 anti-wolf legislative bills, including allowing snaring of wolves on private and public lands, and a month longer wolf trapping season, which violates the export permit and puts protected lynx at an even greater risk of being trapped with the agenda to destroy wolves.”

The Center and Trap Free Montana have filed lawsuits challenging the mass killing of wolves across the northern Rockies, including a 2022 lawsuit to restore federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Today’s notice was sent on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity and Trap Free Montana.

“The #RelistWolves Campaign stands in solidarity with our partners, the Center for Biological Diversity and Trap Free Montana, in their efforts to challenge Montana’s wolf trapping program. The expansion of wolf trapping and snaring regulations not only threatens the survival of wolves but also poses a significant risk to endangered species and has far-reaching effects throughout the entire ecosystem. We demand that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hear them out and take immediate action to address the damning consequences of these trapping regulations by putting an end to trapping as a whole. Our campaign strongly advocates for responsible wildlife management that prioritizes conflict reduction and preservation,” said Leslie Williams and Samantha Attwood, founding members of The #RelistWolves Campaign.

Please TAKE ACTION by asking your representatives to put pressure on Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and President Biden to #RelistWolves HERE!