Environmental groups back feds in lawsuit over hunting ban

KENAI (AP) – More than a dozen environmental groups are seeking to join lawsuits filed by the state of Alaska over a federal ban on certain hunting techniques in national refuges and preserves.

The two lawsuits filed in January claim the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service illegally pre-empted the state’s authority to manage wildlife by banning state-approved hunting practices.

The federal regulations prohibit the killing of black bears in their dens with the aid of artificial light and shooting brown bears over bait stations.

A motion filed by environmental law firm T...