Grijalva Applauds ESA Listing of African Lion as Endangered - FWS Decision Mirrors Ranking Member’s September Recommendations

Washington, D.C. – Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today applauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision to list two subspecies of African lion as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as Grijalva had recommended in a September letter to FWS Director Dan Ashe and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

“Today’s decision will ensure that the United States stops contributing to the alarming decline of global lion populations and help prevent tragic incidents like last summer’s killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe,” Grijalva said.

His September letter also urged Ashe to ensure that no person who has violated state or federal wildlife law could subsequently receive a permit to import a threatened or endangered species. Ashe announced today that he would issue a Director’s order to implement the recommendation. Walter Palmer, the American dentist who lured Cecil out of a national park in Zimbabwe and killed him, had illegally killed a black bear in Wisconsin – which did not stop FWS officials from authorizing his trip.

“The Director’s order is an important step toward cleaning up the trophy hunting industry, which hasn’t successfully policed itself in recent years,” Grijalva said. “While additional reforms are necessary, the rules announced today will penalize the worst actors and serve as a deterrent to further wildlife crimes.”

Grijalva’s letter is available online at http://1.usa.gov/1UX0OB1. 

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Media Contact: Adam Sarvana

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