Baggin Bears in Jersey
Locked and loaded their going for bear in New Jersey’s Highland Region. The Highlands is one of the states last stand of expansive underdeveloped woodlands and critical watershed that provides drinking water to over two million state residents. The Highlands is also the preferred habitat and home to most of the states black bears. But starting Monday, the Highlands will become a deadly killing ground for the lovable species as the state appeals court threw out a suit brought by two animal rights groups to halt a six day bear hunt.
Environmental Commissioner Bob Martin signed off on this year’s hunt, saying it’s needed to help control a growing black bear population. The agency estimates the state’s black bear population at 3,400, up from 500 bears in 1992.
“The Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy is full of scientific flaws and outright fabrications,” APL contends. “In their zeal to hold a recreational trophy hunt, the council has slapped together a scientifically sloppy, self-contradictory document that pretends the hunt is necessary when in fact, the science does not support a hunt.”
The suit filed by the Animal Protection League (APL) contends that the scientific assessment of the bear population and its environmental impact is flawed and its findings are biased. The suit also alleges that proponents of the hunt, The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance made illegal contributions to Gov. Chris Christie’s election campaign. The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance disputes the claims made by the APL and issued a response that appears on the Ammoland website.
During public hearings comments ran 3 to 1 against the bear hunt. Public opposition to the hunt has been vocal and considerable. If the voice of the public counts for nothing why go through the charade of soliciting public comments? A recent public hearing on the expansion of the El Paso Corp gas pipeline through the Highland region had a similar tenor to it. Of the twenty of so citizens and groups who spoke at the meeting not one supported the expansion of the pipeline. Local residents and groups affected by the El Paso expansion initiative are concerned that their opposition to the project is falling on deaf ears of regulators and government officials responsible for green lighting the project. If the project is a fait accompli regardless of public criticism why solicit public comment and go through the motions of participatory democracy?
The Highlands Commission was formed to determine how the resources of the region are managed and how the area will be developed. The Highland region is a critical watershed area and a vital open recreational space for an overwhelmingly urban state. The Highlands Commission is the stewardship body chartered to reconcile the competing interests of a complex community of stakeholders. The immediate needs of wildlife preservation, smart development and long term sustainability of an environmentally stressed ecosystem will require effective engagement of all Highland Community stakeholders. Governor Christie’s slate of nominees to to the Highland Council is being criticized as too pro development. This may auger well for stakeholders like El Paso Corp but it may have deadly consequences for endangered bears and other species struggling to hang on in an increasingly hostile environment.
You Tube Video: Junglebook, Bare Necessities
Risk: environment, bears, sustainability, water, open spaces, democracy
