A Fergus County district court judge has granted the request of hunting and access groups to intervene in opposition to a lawsuit seeking to overturn Montana elk hunting regulations.
Judge Heather Perry’s Aug. 31 order allows Montana Wildlife Federation, Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Montana Bowhunters Association, Hellgate Hunters and Anglers, Helena Hunters and Anglers, Skyline Sportsmen’s Association and Public Land and Water Access Association to intervene in United Property Owners of Montana’s lawsuit against Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission. The groups had argued that their interests as public hunters could not be adequately represented in the case, in part due to recent disagreements with FWP and the commission’s elk management decisions.
“Montana Wildlife Federation appreciates that the court has recognized our standing as intervenors in this important case,” Chris Servheen, the federation’s president and board chair, said in a statement. “This case is about the public’s role in the management of elk and other wildlife in Montana. Elk are a public resource and should be managed using science in a fair and balanced public process.”
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