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Law
DOJ to appeal ruling in Arapaho eagle killing case


The Department of Justice won't give up its fight to prosecute a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe who killed an eagle for religious purposes.

The U.S. Attorney in Wyoming filed a notice of appeal after charges were dismissed against Winslow Friday. The case would be taken to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Friday won a ruling [PDF] from U.S. District Judge William Downes, who said the federal government's eagle permitting process infringed on Native religious rights. It can take years for tribal members to receive eagle feathers and parts from the national repository, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rarely, if ever, granted a permit to kill eagles.

Tribal leaders have hailed the decision. They say it should lead to a streamlining of the permiting program.

Get the Story:
Eagle-killing case stays alive (AP 11/13)
Indians praise ruling on eagles (AP 11/11)

Relevant Links:
National Eagle Repository - http://www.r6.fws.gov/law/le65.html

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