Lummis wins no-sue clause on wolves

Should Wyoming and the federal government reach an agreement on delisting wolves, the deal couldn’t be challenged in court under draft language inserted into a 2012 congressional appropriations bill. U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., crafted the language as Gov. Matt Mead prepares to meet today in Cheyenne with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and newly confirmed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe to discuss a long-awaited wolf deal. Lummis’ no-litigation clause is similar to language added to a must-pass budget bill in April that delisted wolves in five other Western states. Mead and other state officials have repeatedly said that congressional protection against lawsuits is vital to any wolf agreement that’s reached. In a statement Wednesday, Lummis said her no-litigation provision is a “crucial puzzle piece” to delisting Wyoming wolves. “The best way to ensure the success of any negotiation is to back it up with the force of law,” she said in the statement. “This language does exactly that.” Lummis also helped to add other provisions to the 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. One would put Wyoming wolves directly under state control as soon as a deal is reached. Others would stop funding for any new endangered species listings or critical habitat designations and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing and enforcing greenhouse gas regulations from stationary sources for one year. However, the chances of Lummis’ proposals becoming law are slim, said Bill Snape, senior counsel at the Center For Biological Diversity, an Arizona-based conservation group that opposes the ideas. Lummis’ proposals have been “lubed” by House Republican leaders to pass the lower chamber, Snape said. But he predicted the no-litigation clause, in particular, will face “major roadblocks” in the Democratic-controlled Senate, especially as it’s packaged with a number of other GOP provisions that would loosen environmental rules and regulations...more