"A lawsuit pending in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could upend for the worse how wolves are managed on federal land in Eastern Washington, according to the Washington Cattlemen's Association.
The suit claims the Forest Service dodges its duty to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts in the Colville National Forest, leading state wildlife managers to kill wolves.
In a court filing, environmental groups offer a formula for breaking the cycle: "No cattle = no cattle depredations = no lethal wolf removal."
The stakes are high, according to the cattlemen's association. If the suit succeeds, environmental groups can sue federal agencies for the actions of Washington wildlife managers.
The cattlemen's association is not a party to lawsuit, but filed a brief Thursday asking the 9th Circuit to accept its amicus brief."