Articles

The never-ending story of the wolverine

April 05, 2016 | By ETHAN BLEVINS

The fight over whether to list the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act has dragged on for twenty years. Yesterday, a federal district court in Montana decided to prolong the battle. … ...

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Four legs good, two legs bad

August 18, 2015 | By ETHAN BLEVINS

The tyrant porkers of Orwell’s Animal Farm expanded their power by manipulating language. Whenever the farm’s seven commandments stood in the way of the ruling class of pigs, they’d reinterpret the rules in subtle ways. For example, when the pigs began to sleep in beds, they changed the rule that “no animal shall sleep in ...

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The forgotten victims of species protection

February 03, 2015 | By ETHAN BLEVINS

Well-doers often forget the costs that the Endangered Species Act imposes on others. The listing of an animal as threatened or endangered saddles people within its range with some heavy burdens. Property owners may lose control over portions of their own property, which they must leave untouched as conservation easements. Farmers risk severe ...

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Decision deadline on wolverine listing pushed back

February 06, 2014 | By DAMIEN SCHIFF

Earlier this week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service re-opened the comment period and extended the deadline for acting on the agency’s proposal to list a distinct population segment of the North American wolverine under the Endangered Species Act.  Generally, the ESA requires that the Service finalize a listing proposal within one year, but ...

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President's weekly report — May 3, 2013

May 03, 2013 | By ROB RIVETT

Environment — Endangered Species – Wolverine We filed our comments on the listing of the Wolverine as a “distinct population segment” of a subspecies.  The problem here is that the Endangered Species Act does not countenance the listing of such a thing.  The government may list species, subspecies, and even “distinct ...

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PLF files comments on wolverine rule

May 03, 2013 | By BRIAN HODGES

PLF attorneys filed public comments today urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider its proposal to list a distinct population segment (DPS) of wolverines in the United States as a threatened species.  We argue that the proposed rule, if adopted, would violate the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  The Service’s conclusion that th ...

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Wolverine proposed for listing

February 07, 2013 | By DAMIEN SCHIFF

Earlier this week, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing a distinct population segment of the North American wolverine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.  The Service contends that the proposed listing should not bode ill for recreational and productive uses of land where the wolverine is located, beca ...