The Trump Administration is at the center of another lawsuit. Yesterday, a number of advocacy groups sued the administration “over what they call the biased makeup of a wildlife advisory council.” Filed in a U.S. District Court in New York, the suit argues that the “International Wildlife Conservation Council is made up of hunting enthusiasts, trophy hunters, and politically-connected donors,” all of whom are allegedly likely to create or sponsor policies “for groups that profit from hunting “imperiled animals.”Zak Smith, the senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said recently that “It’s very obvious [the 17-member council has] an intent to undermine some of the protections put in place based on the affiliations of its members.” He added that the law “requires advisory councils to be balanced so that all sides are represented.”

Ryan Zinke; image courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of Interior via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org

For those who don't know, the panel was created back in November 2017 by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke with the purpose of increasing American “awareness of conservation, ensure the support of hunting as a tool to combat illegal poaching and recommend the removal of barriers to the importation into the United States of legally hunted wildlife.” Currently included on the council “are a National Rifle Association official, six members who are listed as active hunters and five members who are said to represent wildlife conservation groups.”One of the council members is Paul Babaz, the president of Safari Club International (SCI). He's listed as a conservationist, though his “organization has been criticized for endorsing the hunting of vulnerable animals.”It should be noted, however, that the lawsuit is pretty much cautionary at the moment because Smith said the “council has yet to publicly issue an advisory.” Despite this, Smith said many advocates are concerned “about the potential sway that the 'biased' council might have, as advisory recommendations are looked at more closely and are likely to be readily adopted.” He added, “If we have to sue to get our government to listen to wildlife conservation experts, we’re happy to do so.”The suit itself was filed by the Democracy Forward Foundation on behalf of the “NRDC, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International.” In addition to the above-mentioned allegations, the suit also alleges the “council disobeyed long-standing rules by not publishing transcripts and detailed notes of its meetings in the proper amount of time.” Some of the groups in the suit claim council members “diverted organizational resources to procure “records that should already be public.”Though the Interior Department has so far declined requests for comment, though in March it announced that it would begin allowing elephant trophies from Tanzania and Zimbabwe on an individual basis.

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