The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a 60 day notice that it will sue the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The group is claiming that the MDNR is violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and a 2008 federal court order regarding incidental take of the federally protected Canada lynx.
In 2006, the Animal Protection Institute and Center for Biological Diversity sued the MDNR claiming that they were violating a section of the ESA by authorizing trapping for other species within the range of the Canada lynx in Minnesota. The Sportsmen’s Alliance, along with Fur Takers of America, the National Trappers Association and the Minnesota Trappers Association, intervened in the case alongside the MDNR.
In that case, the court found that the MDNR failed to comply in two areas after the Canada lynx was designated as threatened under the ESA.
- MDNR failed to issue new trapping regulations implementing U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) recommendations.
- MDNR failed to apply for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) from the FWS.
The court ordered the MDNR to apply for an ITP and to promptly take all necessary steps it could to restrict, modify or eliminate the incidental take of Canada lynx in its range. MDNR complied with the court ruling and applied for the ITP permit and created a comprehensive plan that included the creation of a “Lynx Management Zone,” as well as new rules and regulations for the types of traps that could be used and how they can be set.
While the Center for Biological Diversity claims that the MDNR is once again violating the ESA by failing to comply with the 2008 decision, the MDNR believes that they are in full compliance with both the ESA and the 2008 court order.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.