Iron Bar Holdings Petitions U.S. Supreme Court to Review Corner Crossing Ruling
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), North America’s leading public lands advocacy group, is responding today to news that Iron Bar Holdings, LLC will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the landmark corner crossing case upheld earlier this year by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The case, which affirmed that four Missouri hunters did not trespass when they used a ladder to step from one corner of public land to another—without setting foot on private land—has become a flashpoint in the national conversation over access to public lands.
Ryan Semerad, attorney for the four hunters, confirmed their commitment to defending the 10th Circuit ruling.
“Mr. Cape, Mr. Slowensky, Mr. Smith, Mr. Yeomans, and our legal team are ready to keep fighting for and defending public access to public lands,” Semerad said.
BHA has stood with the hunters from the outset. The Wyoming chapter of BHA helped raise more than $220,000 from grassroots donors nationwide to fund the legal defense. In addition, BHA submitted two amicus briefs in federal court outlining the importance of the case to millions of public land users and reinforcing the legality of corner crossing under current law.
“Corner crossing has always been about the right of the public to access the lands they own,” said Patrick Berry, President and CEO of BHA. “The 10th Circuit made it clear: stepping from one corner of public land to another is not a crime. If the Supreme Court takes this case, we’ll be ready—because access for all is worth fighting for, all the way to the highest court in the land.”
BHA will continue to closely monitor the legal proceedings and remain committed to standing with the hunters—and with public land owners across the country—to ensure a commonsense solution that recognizes private property rights and ensures access to millions of acres of public lands across the West.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit https://www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.
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