Congress, President Allow for Controversial Killing of Wolves and Bears in National Wildlife Refuges
On April 3, 2017, President Donald Trump continued his attack on our environment, wildlife and public lands by signing legislation into law (H.J. Res. 69) that would repeal recently finalized regulation by the U.S. Fish an Wildlife Service. As a result federal National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska will be subject to aggressive hunting practices against wolves and bears.
The resolution arrived on the President’s desk after being passed on largely party line votes by the House and then Senate under a seldom-used law entitled the Congressional Review Act. This is the third conservation related repeal of regulations completed under the Obama Administration. Not only does this negate more than a year of public input and process but precludes the agency from making any regulations in the same issue area moving forward.
The original regulation restricted aggressive “predator control” tactics airborne shooting of wolves, killing hibernating bears and hunting cubs and pups in their dens on federal national wildlife refuges in Alaska.
Despite this grim news, we need your help now more than ever. There are still several repeal provisions and legislation threatening our public lands, clean air and water and forests. Check out where things stand and what you can do to help stop more bills like this becoming law.
