Groups Sue Federal Government Over Aerial Gunning of Wildlife

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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Groups Sue Federal Government Over Aerial Gunning of Wildlife

Coalition Demands Environmental and Economic Accountability

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WASHINGTON, Mar. 6 -/E-Wire/-- A lawsuit filed in federal court today seeks to stop the aerial gunning of wildlife until the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Wildlife Services program (WS) and the US Department of Interior's Colorado office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) comply with federal law. The suit was filed by AGRO: A Coalition to End the Aerial Gunning of Wildlife with help from the Western Environmental Law Center in Taos, NM. AGRO is comprised of environmental, animal protection, and citizen advocacy organizations.

"Wildlife Services and the BLM have violated federal law by failing to conduct adequate analyses that reflect the true environmental and economic costs of their aerial gunning program," said Robin Cooley, the group's attorney. AGRO seeks an injunction barring the aerial gunning of wildlife until the agencies bring the program into compliance.

Through its aerial gunning program, Wildlife Services uses low-flying aircraft to kill predators on public and private lands throughout the western and midwestern United States. In FY 1999, Wildlife Services shot and killed 33,706 animals from the air, primarily to benefit private ranchers.

In addition, accidents are rampant. "Since 1989," noted Wendy Keefover- Ring of Sinapu, "WS has crashed 17 helicopters or airplanes while hunting predators, killing 7 people and injuring 21 others. Taxpayers pay for all investigations and workers' compensation related to these crashes."

The BLM has ultimate authority over its lands and cannot legally allow activities which fail to comply with all applicable federal laws; yet, the BLM has failed to perform certain site-specific and cumulative environmental assessments as required by law. In Colorado, BLM has relied on a document that covers an impossibly broad range of ecosystems, economies, and acres.

"Wildlife Services operates its aerial gunning program under a veil of secrecy and has effectively excluded the public from the planning process," said Andrea Lococo of The Fund for Animals.

"Wildlife are the property of the entire public, yet we foot the bill to kill thousands of wild predators under the guise of performing a 'public service'. It is our hope that this lawsuit will help to focus public scrutiny on this outmoded, wasteful and shameful activity," said Camilla Fox of Animal Protection Institute.

The Fund for Animals

Andrea Lococo of The Fund for Animals, [REDACTED-PHONE]; Wendy

Keefover-Ring of Sinapu, [REDACTED-PHONE]; Robin Cooley of the Western

Environmental Law Center, [REDACTED-PHONE]; Camilla Fox of the Animal Protection

Institute, [REDACTED-PHONE]; or Pete Kolbenschlag of the Colorado Environmental

Coalition, [REDACTED-PHONE]

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