By Lana Birbrair

Law360, New York (November 02, 2011, 9:05 PM ET) -- Three environmental and food safety groups stepped up their battle with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Wednesday, seeking to stop the cultivation of genetically engineered crops in wildlife refuges across the Midwest in their fourth suit against the agency.

Beyond Pesticides, the Center for Food Safety and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility accuse the federal government of illegally entering into cooperative farming agreements to plant genetically engineered crops on 54 national wildlife refuges in eight states across the Midwest, violating the National Environmental...