New Jersey Legislators Call for Action Amidst Increasing Bear Attacks
Corzine Administration Criticized for Failing to Reexamine Bear Management Policy.
Trenton, NJ –-(AmmoLand.com) -A group of New Jersey legislators seized upon a new report showing an increasing number of bear related incidents to push the Administration of Governor John Corzine to reevaluate its current management policy.
An August 13 press release from Senator Steven Oroho (R- Franklin Burrough) and Assemblypersons Alison Littell McHose (R- Franklin) and Gary Chiusano (R- Frankford Township) highlighted the most recent monthly report issued by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) which indicates bear related incidents continue to increase. In the release, the legislators urged Gov. Corzine to change its bear management policies.
“It’s time Governor Corzine put aside politics and his personal feelings about hunting and look at the bigger picture,” stated Sen. Oroho. “This is a serious matter of public safety. Adults and children alike in our communities are literally under attack because the bear population is not being adequately controlled. It’s obvious this administration’s alternate bear management policies are not working.”
According to the DFW report, there were 512 complaints for the period this year compared to 407 calls in 2008. This represents a 26 percent increase in complaints. Additionally, of those 512 complaints, 138 were ‘Category I’ complaints involving public safety risks or damage to property of more than $500.
The effort is similar to a call put out at the end of 2008 which also called on Gov. Corzine to modify the state bear management plan.
The three legislators side with biologists and other professionals who support the return of bear hunting in order to address resident concerns.
Gov. Corzine’s head of the Department of Environmental Protection, Lisa Jackson, who now serves as the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama Administration, put a stop to bear hunting in New Jersey in 2006. Since then, bear incidents have been consistently on the rise.
“For years, there has been a steadfast refusal to look at numbers produced by the professionals in the DFW,” stated Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO. “The bear hunt is the only scientifically legitimate form of management that works. It’s time that Gov. Corzine and his Administration reassess current policy and brings the hunt back.”
About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) work nationwide, representing over 1.5 million sportsmen through member clubs and individual constituents. The organizations provide legislative, legal defense and public education services to defend and advance sportsmen’s rights in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states.