Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Animal advocates are suing Montana officials over rules for grizzly bear hunts that would kick in if the U.S. government moves ahead with its proposal to lift the animals' federal protections.
The Humane Society, Center for Biological Diversity and Bozeman resident Clint Nagel filed the lawsuit Friday in state District Court.
They claim Montana wildlife commissioners approved the rule without providing public notice of its full contents.
State officials expect fewer than 10 bears to be hunted most years.
Grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states have been protected as a threatened species since the 1970s. At least 700 live in the Yellowstone region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the three states must submit hunting regulations before protections are lifted.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
