Under the gun from litigation, the Fish and Wildlife Service agreed Thursday to revisit whether lead ammunition might be phased out at a wildlife refuge in West Virginia.
The agreement was praised by the conservation groups that challenged the agency’s earlier decision to retreat from plans for a lead ammo phaseout at the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The new settlement calls for further review and a follow-up decision by 2026.
“This settlement makes clear that the Service’s decisions about the use of toxic lead ammunition must be based on science and the wildlife protective mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System,” said Aaron Bloom, a senior attorney with Earthjustice’s biodiversity defense program, in a statement.
Bloom added that “the harms of lead ammunition to people and wildlife are well-documented” and he predicted that “it should be a straightforward decision” for the Fish and Wildlife Service to once again proceed with a lead ammo phaseout at the refuge.
