Wildlife conservation groups sue over lack of plan for railroad to reduce grizzly deaths in Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Two wildlife conservation groups have filed a lawsuit against BNSF Railway over delays in finalizing a plan to reduce the number of federally protected grizzly bears that are killed by trains in northwestern Montana and northern Idaho.

WildEarth Guardians and the Western Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuit in federal court in Missoula on Thursday arguing BNSF and other railroads that use their tracks, including Amtrak, have been killing grizzly bears without an incidental take permit for decades. Such permits, required under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, allow a certain number of protected animals to be killed in exchange for efforts by a company to try to reduce the deaths.