Last week, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced its oversight investigation into the use of taxpayer funds to finance serial litigation against wildlife and habitat management. Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), and 15 Committee members sent oversight letters seeking information regarding litigation practices, attorney fee recoveries, and the use of statutory fee-shifting provisions such as those found in the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and other federal laws.
The Committee has held multiple hearings on this issue. Last year, SCI Sr. Litigation Counsel Regina Lennox testified before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the need for targeted reforms to EAJA to ensure the federal government does not subsidize unnecessary or low-value lawsuits. Lennox highlighted how serial litigation and fee-recovery mechanisms can impose significant costs on taxpayers and agencies while delaying conservation initiatives and responsible resource management.
"Congressional oversight is critical to understanding how fee awards are being distributed and whether current laws adequately protect taxpayers," said W. Laird Hamberlin, CEO of Safari Club International. "Sportsmen and women and local communities have long experienced the consequences of litigation designed to delay or block wildlife management decisions, habitat improvement projects, and conservation activities. SCI appreciates that Congress is considering EAJA reform to control unnecessary lawsuits and promote science-based decision-making."
SCI has long advocated for science-based wildlife management, multiple-use public land policies, and greater transparency in litigation that affects hunters, anglers, landowners, and communities. EAJA reform is one of SCI's policy priorities for the Trump Administration and Congress.
About Safari Club International: Safari Club International is a global conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, defending the freedom to hunt, and promoting sustainable conservation worldwide. Representing more than 100,000 members and advocates, SCI supports science-based wildlife management and conservation policies, the protection of hunters' rights, and public education about the role of regulated hunting in conservation.