Ban on aerial gunning sought
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
November 29, 2009
Wild Earth Guardians is once again seeking an end to the aerial gunning of predators. The technique used this time is the submission of a "petition for executive order and rulemaking banning aerial gunning and poisoning activities of native wild carnivores on federal public lands" to United States President Barack Obama, and several cabinet and agency heads in the Obama administration.
The petition seeks an executive order that would impose:
(a) A ban on aerial gunning of wildlife by Department of the Interior (DOI) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials and their agents;
(b) A ban of aerial gunning of wildlife on federal public lands administered by DOI and USDA;
(c) A ban on poisoning of mammalian carnivores by DOI and USDA officials and their agents; and
(d) A ban on poisoning mammalian carnivores on federal public lands administered by the DOI and USDA.
Among the broad ramifications proposed by the petition, the ban would prohibit aerial gunning of coyotes on federal lands by any entity, including USDA Wildlife Services professionals, or private coyote control specialists. Aerial gunning is broadly viewed as the most cost-effective method of predator control in the West.
The groups also hope to ban the use of sodium cyanide M-44 devices (which are not allowed near wolf country) and Compound 1080 toxicant delivered via livestock protection collars that are used on sheep.
Wild Earth Guardians opposes the use of lethal control on predators.
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