Ojai Wildlife League

This is the letter sent to FGC by a statewide coalition of groups, listed at the end.

Please don’t forget to write your letters to the CA Fish and Game Commission by April 15.  EVERY LETTER COUNTS.  Their email address is fgc@fgc.ca.gov

March 13, 2010

California Fish and Game Commission

1416 Ninth Street

P.O. Box 944209

Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

Via email: fgc@fgc.ca.gov, Director@dfg.ca.gov, eloft@dfg.ca.gov

Dear California Fish and Game Commission:

March 13, 2010

California Fish and Game Commission

1416 Ninth Street

P.O. Box 944209

Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

Via email: fgc@fgc.ca.gov, Director@dfg.ca.gov, eloft@dfg.ca.gov

Dear California Fish and Game Commission:

We, the undersigned organizations representing more than three million Californians,

oppose the California Department of Fish and Game’s (CDFG) proposals to expand

black bear hunting. The agency recently unveiled plans to: allow an unlimited number

of bears to be killed across California during the hunting season; permit the use of hightech

global positioning equipment and “tip switches” on hound collars to make it easy

to locate and kill a bear; open the first-ever bear hunting season in San Luis Obispo

county and expand the hunts in Modoc and Lassen counties; and significantly expand

the hound training season, allowing hounds to harass bears nearly all year long. We

urge you to reject these proposals because they are scientifically indefensible,

unnecessary, and environmentally harmful. Specifically, we contend the Commission

should oppose CDFG’s plans for the following reasons:

• The agency has not demonstrated any need for these regulatory changes other

than to placate hunting interests, nor does the CDFG provide sufficient

information to assess the detrimental effects these changes may have on bears.

According to CDFG data, the number of bears killed legally by hunters has steadily

increased well beyond the agency’s own 1,700 annual season limit. Yet, the CDFG

has yet to analyze how these dramatic increases have affected state and local bear

populations, behavior, social structure, reproduction, and cubs. Increasing the quota

or eliminating the cap altogether will further stress the state’s bear population and

put some local populations at risk.

There is no guarantee that expanding hunting into San Luis Obispo, Lassen, or

Modoc counties will not adversely impact the black bear population in those

counties. The CDFG has not conducted specific research in these counties to

determine the size, distribution, or demographics of the populations to assess

whether these local bear populations can withstand an increase in hunting activity.

• An expansion of bear hunting will place additional pressures on bears, who face a

host of threats from poaching, habitat alteration, human encroachment into wildlife

areas, aggressive government lethal control programs, and climate change.

• State wildlife officials have failed to assess the impacts of poaching. Illegal killing

of bears has increased world-wide, fueled by a booming market, for bear parts,

especially bear gallbladders used in traditional Asian medicine and bear paws,

considered a delicacy in soup. Bear gallbladders can go for $5,000 a pound.

Poaching of wildlife has become epidemic across the state. Violations rose from

6,538 in 2003 to 17,840 in 2007. The illegal sale of California wildlife and wildlife

parts generates an estimated $100 million a year, second only to the illegal drug

trade, according to CDFG officials. Yet, the state has just 358 game wardens

patrolling 300,000 square miles of land and water. It makes no sense to expand bear

hunting when state wildlife law enforcement capabilities are so crippled. Permitting

hunters to use GPS devices on hounds will only exacerbate poaching.

• Trophy hunting ignores the ecological value of bears. Apex species, such as bears,

cougars, and wolves, play critical roles in maintaining ecosystems. Black bears often

scavenge for food, playing an important role in recycling carrion. Bears also help

transport berry seeds. Along salmon spawning streams, bear scat and the remains of

fish carried into the woods contribute to the long-term nutrient cycle in old-growth

forest. Even cambium feeding by bears, which sometimes kills trees, creates widely

scattered snags that benefit other species of wildlife.

• Hound hunting of bears is unsporting, unethical, and environmentally harmful.

In California, bears can be legally chased by hounds, treed, and then shot by

hunters. Hounds have been known to pursue bears with cubs, increasing the risk

that cubs could be separated from their mothers, then orphaned. It is not

uncommon for hounds to maim bears, especially cubs, and even more common for

bears to maim or kill an entire pack of hounds. In addition, hounds may pursue

non-targeted animals, including imperiled species, putting additional stress on

those species. Allowing hunters to place GPS devices and tip switches on hounds

will inevitably make it much easier for hunters, as well as poachers, to kill more

bears.

• Hunting does not reduce conflicts with bears. Trophy hunters target the largest

bears who may look good on a wall or as a throw rug, not the young males who are

primarily responsible for conflicts. Furthermore, hunting takes place far from

homes, while so-called “problem bears” usually live in the urban-suburban

interface. Shooting bears at random is as effective at reducing conflicts as shooting

into a crowded room is at reducing crime. And using hunting as an aggressive and

expansive lethal control of bears ignores the root cause of bear-human conflicts.

Most encounters with bears are the result of irresponsible human behavior (e.g.

landowners who refuse to depose of garbage properly).

• Hunting of bears puts the public at risk. California is densely populated state and

many people recreate in bear country. Since hunting hounds are usually off-leash,

packs of hounds may trespass onto private land, harass companion, farm, and ranch

animals, and destroy private property. The presence of packs of hunting hounds

also disturbs the peace and tranquility of those who recreate in the backcountry.

We therefore urge you to reject the CDFG’s proposals to expand bear hunting in

California. Should you have any questions, please contact Brian Vincent at Big Wildlife,

604-618-1030 or Nicole Paquette, The Humane Society of the United States, 916-455-1479.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

This letter was signed by the following organizations:

Action for Animals * All Creatures * All for Animals * American Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals * Animal Commandos * Animal Emancipation * Animal Legal Defense Fund *

Animal Perspective * Animal Protection and Rescue League * Animal Rescue Team * BEAR League *

BEAR-WITH-US.org * Big Wildlife * C.A.R.E. * California Church IMPACT * California Federation

for Animal Legislation * Center for Biological Diversity * Chico For Animal Rights * Contra Costa

Humane Society * Empty Cages Collective * Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo *

Environmental Defense Center * EPIC- Environmental Protection Information Center * Food

Empowerment Project * Forests Forever * Fund for Animals Wildlife Center * Fund for Wild

Nature * Green Party of San Luis Obispo * Grizzly People * In Defense of Animals * In Gaia’s Hands,

Earth, & Animal Ministry * Kind Planet * Klamath Forest Alliance * Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands

Center * Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care * Last Chance for Animals Arizona * Latino Democrats of

Stanislaus County * League of Humane Voters – California Chapter * Luka’s List of Just Causes *

Marin Vegetarian Education Group * Mountain Lion Foundation * North County Humane Society *

Ocean Defenders Alliance * Ojai Wildlife League * Orange County People for Animals * Paw PAC *

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals * Return To Freedom, American Wild Horse Sanctuary *

San Francisco Vegetarian Society * Santa Cruz Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals *

Sierra Club – Kern-Kaweah Chapter * Sierra Club – Mineral King Group * Sierra Club – Mojave

Group, San Gorgonio Chapter * Sierra Club – Placer * Group Sierra Club – San Francisco Bay

Chapter * Sierra Club – Santa Lucia Chapter * The Humane Society of the United States * The Urban

Cat Project * United Animal Nations * Ventana Wilderness League * Wild in the City * Wildlife Care

of Ventura County

This letter  from the CEO of the Human Society of the United States appeared in the Santa Barbara News Press.  Please don’t forget to write your letters to the CA Fish and Game Commission by April 15.  EVERY LETTER COUNTS.  Their email address is fgc@fgc.ca.gov

Opinion: Expanded bear hunt don’t pass smell test

Wayne Pacelle

March 14, 2010 12:22 PM

For too long, the California Department of Fish and Game has served the interests of the trophy-hunting lobby over the interests of the millions of California residents who do not hunt. Wildlife watchers in California outnumber bear hunters by a factor of 250 to 1. But nothing demonstrates just how far the agency will go to placate this narrow trophy-hunting constituency than new proposals to expand the range and the terms for killing black bears with packs of dogs in California.

With these steps, the department is walking straight into an expensive and needless wrangle with voters — because rank-and-file citizens cannot, and will not, condone this kind of unsporting and inhumane mismanagement and may be left with no choice but another ballot initiative to bring the government to its senses.

Californians may remember that in the 1980s the department pressed to authorize a trophy hunting season for mountain lions, despite objections from the public. Wildlife protection and humane organizations eventually initiated a ballot measure, which voters approved in 1990 and then affirmed again in 1996. Unfortunately, this lesson appears lost on today’s department regulators.

The department is calling for a significant expansion of the range open to hound hunting of bears, including starting a season in San Luis Obispo County, no doubt to give trophy hunters from Los Angeles and the Bay Area a convenient hunting ground. Farther north, the department wants to expand the bear hunting range in Modoc and Lassen counties. This is heavily forested country and prime bear habitat. The adoption of this proposal surely will mean more harassed and dead bears.

That’s to the liking of the trophy-hunting lobby, of course, and the department is bending over backward to be accommodating. DFG proposes to rescind a regulation that automatically ends the season once 1,700 bears have been killed. For the last three years, hunters have met this quota early and the season was curtailed. Now, under this abrogation of responsibility, trophy hunters can take aim on an unlimited number of bears — a shocking step backward.

But it gets even worse. Much worse. The department also proposes expanding the hound-hunting season across much of the state. It already is legal in California to chase bears with packs of radio-collared hounds, despite the fact that bears have less stamina than dogs and must soon seek refuge in a tree. DFG now wants to permit this activity all season long, beginning just as soon as bears emerge from their dens with dependent cubs. This would separate mothers from their cubs — and even make tiny bears targets.

Hound hunters typically use radio telemetry devices, the same devices bear researchers and national park employees use to track bears.

But the department wants to allow even more sophisticated technology to ease the trophy hunters’ path. Under the DFG plan, high-tech hunters could use Global Positioning System transmitters on their dogs’ collars, complete with “tip switches.”

That way, dogs are released to chase bears and trophy hunters can climb back into their heated trucks to drink coffee while they track the “hunt” on a portable GPS receiver. When dogs tree a bear, they stop looking down at the ground — bear hounds track by scent — and raise their heads to look up into the tree. If they look up for a long period of time, a “tip switch” on the collar alerts the shooters that the chase is over.

The trophy hunters grab their rifles, follow the GPS signal straight to the bear, and shoot the trapped animal at point-blank range off a tree branch. It’s about as sporting as following a printed zoo map to the bear grotto.

These proposals didn’t bubble up from California communities dealing with increased conflicts with bears — not that such conflicts are resolved by expanding hunting. Rather, this reckless war on the state’s natural resources was proposed by trophy hunters who want to shoot more black bears and mount their hides and heads on their walls.

California’s bears are an icon for our state. They are a natural treasure we all enjoy and appreciate, and they need and deserve protection, particularly in light of poaching pressures from those professional rings that sell bear parts abroad. It’s outrageous enough that California allows any hounding of black bears, but bears have only “dodged the bullet” and avoided eradication in California because regulations have maintained an annual quota.

The leadership of the trophy hunting lobby again shows its colors in demanding no interference — and short-sighted regulators have obliged by not even bothering to conduct research on local bear populations in the areas of the proposed expansion to determine what impact an unlimited trophy hunt might have on the health and stability of the bear populations in the effective areas.

Most responsible hunters profess an ethic of sportsmanship and fair chase, and the use of high-tech devices to shoot unlimited numbers of bears doesn’t meet the smell test.

Voters in Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington have taken to the polls already to protect bears against hound hunting. Voters in California have already displayed their desire to put majestic wildlife ahead of the misguided and selfish interests of an overreaching trophy hunting lobby.

The mission of the Department of Fish and Game includes managing our diverse wildlife and their habitats for “their use and enjoyment by the public.” It’s time they stand up for wildlife and for the entire “public,” not just trophy hunters.

The author is president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.

ALERT          ALERT          ALERT

HELP STOP EXPANSION OF BEAR HUNTING ACROSS CALIFORNIA

Please urge the California Fish and Game Commission to reject plans to dramatically expand bear hunting throughout the state and attend a Public meeting on bear hunting proposals: March 3, 2010 and Apr. 8, 2010 (see details below)

Deadline for public written comments to DFG and FGC on DED proposal: March 13, 2010

It is requested, but not required, that written comments be submitted on or before April 6, 2010 at the FGC address given below, or by fax at (916) 653-5040, or by e-mail to fgc@fgc.ca.gov. All comments must be received no later than April 8, 2010, at the meeting in Monterey. If you would like copies of any modifications to this proposal, please include your name and mailing address.

Every year, more than 2,000 bears are legally killed by hunters across California, with the most bears killed in Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Shasta, and Tulare counties. An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 black bears are legally hunted each year in the US and Canada, while an unknown number are also illegally poached. Shockingly, it is even legal for trophy hunters in California to chase bears with packs of hounds.

To make matters worse, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) has proposed dramatically expanding bear hunting across the state. Earlier this month, the CDFG unveiled its plans to: increase the hunt quota from 1,700 to 2,500 bears or eliminate a cap altogether (the latter is what FGC is proposing to adapt) and expand hunting into other areas of the state, including San Luis Obispo county. The agency also plans to allow the use of global positioning system (GPS) collars and treeing switches on dogs while bear hunting. (A treeing switch alerts hunters when hounds have chased a bear up a tree.)  The California Fish and Game Commission will ultimately decide to accept or reject the CDFG’s proposals.

If these proposals are adopted, bears will have virtually no place to hide in California and there will be no limit on the numbers killed.

Click this link to watch video of bear hunt with hounds. Warning: video is graphic and disturbing. http://www.humanesociety.org/news/multimedia/index.html?fr_story=e2cc7ec09cf7087516729123499176973dd66a09

(Special thanks to The Humane Society of the United States for providing the video.)

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

*Urge the California Fish and Game Commission to reject the CDFG proposals. See our sample letter below.

To contact the California Fish and Game Commission you can either fax, email or mail your comments to:

Email: fgc@fgc.ca.gov

Phone: (916) 653-4899

Fax: (916) 653-5040

Mailing address:

California Fish and Game Commission

1416 Ninth Street

P.O. Box 944209

Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

*Attend the California Fish and Game Commission meeting(s) on the bear hunting proposals. The Commission meetings are scheduled in Ontario, California on March 3, 2010 and Monterey,CA on April 8, 2010.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010, Meeting begins at 8:30 AM, though the bear hunting proposals will likely be later in the day.  DoubleTree Hotel, Ontario Airport, DoubleTree Ballroom, 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, California              (909) 937-0900

ALSO:  Thursday, April 8, 2010,   The La Grande Room, Beach Resort Monterey, 2600 Sand Dunes Dr., Monterey, California at 8:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

Contact Big Wildlife at brian@bigwildlife.org or call 604-618-1030 for more details. Big Wildlife will provide additional information about the Commission meeting as it becomes available.

SAMPLE LETTER TO COMMISSION

DATE

Dear California Fish and Game Commission:

I understand the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) is considering changes to the state’s mammal hunting regulations. As you are aware, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) recently unveiled its plans to:  eliminate a cap altogether and expand hunting into other areas of the state, including San Luis Obispo county. The agency also plans to allow the use of global positioning system (GPS) collars and treeing switches on dogs while bear hunting. I urge the Commission to reject these misguided proposals because they are scientifically indefensible, unnecessary, and environmentally harmful. Specifically, I urge the Commission to oppose CDFG’s plans because:

Trophy hunting puts additional pressures on bears, who face a host of increasing threats from poaching, habitat fragmentation and destruction, human encroachment into wildlife areas, aggressive government lethal control programs, and climate change.

State wildlife officials have failed to assess the impacts of poaching. Illegal killing of bears has increased globally, fueled by a booming international market, for bear parts, especially bear gallbladders used in traditional Asian medicine and bear paws, considered a delicacy in soup. Bear gallbladders can go for $5,000 a pound, an enticing price that has spurred bear poaching in California. Poaching of wildlife has become epidemic across the state. Violations rose from 6,538 in 2003 to 17,840 in 2007. The illegal sale of California wildlife and wildlife parts generates an estimated $100 million a year, second only to the illegal drug trade, according to CDFG officials. Yet, the state has just 358 game wardens patrolling 300,000 square miles of land and water. It makes no sense to permit bear hunting when state wildlife law enforcement capabilities are so crippled.

Trophy hunting ignores the ecological value of bears. Apex species, such as bears, cougars, and wolves, play critical roles in maintaining ecosystems. Black bears often scavenge for food, playing an important role in recycling carrion. Bears also help transport berry seeds. Along salmon spawning streams, bear scat and the remains of fish carried into the woods contribute to the long-term nutrient cycle in old-growth forest. Even cambium feeding by bears, which sometimes kills trees, creates widely scattered snags that benefit other species of wildlife.

The state has failed to assess the impacts of annual increases in bears killed by hunters. According to CDFG data, the number of bears killed legally by hunters has steadily increased well beyond the agency’s own 1,700 annual season limit. Yet, the CDFG has yet to analyze how these dramatic increases have affected state and local bear populations, behavior, social structure, reproduction, and cubs. Increasing the quota or eliminating the cap altogether will further stress the state’s bear population and put an unknown amount of  local populations at risk.

Hunting black bears is cruel, unethical, and environmentally harmful. In California, bears can be legally chased by hounds, treed, and then shot by hunters. Hounds have been known to pursue bears with cubs, increasing the risk that cubs could be separated from their mothers, then orphaned. It is not uncommon for hounds to maim bears, especially cubs, and even more common for bears to maim or kill an entire pack of dogs. In addition, hounds may pursue non-targeted animals, including imperiled species, putting additional stress on those species. Bears can also be killed with bow and arrow, which studies reveal produce an unacceptably high wounding rate. Allowing hunters to place GPS devices and treeing switches on hounds will inevitably make it much easier for hunters, as well as poachers, to kill more bears.

Again, please reject the CDFG’s proposals. Instead of expanding hunting of bears, the state should strengthen safeguards for these magnificent animals. Thank you.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

ADDRESS

PHONE

EMAIL

California Fish and Game Commission

P.O. Box 944209

Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

Dear California Fish and Game Commission:

Only recently did I learn my home state of California lists the Black Bear as a ‘game’ animal and permits killing of cubs as small as 50 pounds. I am horrified! Bears are shy, gentle animals that only come into contact with humans when they are looking for food or water or when people enter their territory. I have seen these magnificent creatures in the Sierras and in natural habitat close to Ojai. Usually the bears climb a tree and wait until people have left – mom sends her cubs up first.

Supposedly we are a ‘civilized’ society – it’s time Fish and Game decisions are made that demonstrate compassion and your mission “to ensure the long term sustainability of California’s fish and wildlife resources by” – “establishing appropriate fish and wildlife resource management rules and regulations” – “building active wildlife resource management partnerships with ….the public and interest groups…”

I strongly urge you to reject the proposed plan of California Department of Fish and Game to expand bear hunting. Do not permit bears to be hunted by dogs, especially those with electronic devices – nothing ’sporting’ about shooting a frightened animal that has climbed a tree to get away from the hounds. This kind of ‘hunting’ is cruel, inhumane and unethical. Bears hunted with bows and arrows result in many wounded animals. The best decision would be to protect this ‘gentle giant’ by completely banning hunting of bears.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Marjorie C. Emerson

I just read the article in the Star (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/29/ojai-group-discusses-how-to-prevent-bear/) about your newly formed organization. I am glad the residents of Ojai are willing to search for solutions regarding Bears, Lions, etc. As a resident of Ojai, and a property owner the bear visited a few times, we called Fish & Game. I know many Ojai residents did also. We were told the bear was not a threat and Fish & Game would not come out. Only when the bear made it to downtown did Fish & Game respond- by killing it. I thought they were there to protect the Wildlife. We need a few organizations we can call,  your website is a good resource-to come out and deal with the bears, lions, etc. I know this is a common problem in other states too and we can learn from those organizations on how they deal with it. Let’s not involve Fish & Game with Ojai wildlife anymore. We can handle the situation for the betterment of Ojai and it’s wild creatures.

The CA Dept. of Fish and Game is asking for an increase in the annual “bear harvest” from the current 1700 to UNLIMITED.  They also want to allow GPS collars on bear hunting dogs.  Use of dogs is already outlawed in some states.

Go to our “HELP” section for more information and a link to where you can learn how to take action.

Here’s the press release which tells you where you can view the whole document and where to send comments:

> California Department of Fish and Game News Release  Jan. 27, 2010

> Contact:

> Doug Updike, DFG Wildlife Branch, (916) 445-3652

> Kirsten Macintyre, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8988

> Environmental Documents Regarding Changes to Bear and Elk Hunting Regulations Now Available for Comment.  The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has completed the draft environmental documents (DEDs) related to proposed black bear and elk hunting regulations changes. DFG is seeking written comments from the public through March 13, 2010.

> The DEDs were prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, as required by law. The documents can now be viewed online at

www.dfg.ca.gov/news/pubnotice

> Written comments should be submitted to:

> Dr. Eric Loft, Chief

> Department of Fish and Game

> Wildlife Branch

> 1812 Ninth St.

> Sacramento, CA 95818

> Comments received from the public about these DEDs will be incorporated into the final environmental documents that are scheduled for completion in April 2010.

U.S. hunters shoot about 33,000 bears each year—and poachers kill thousands more. In fact, bears are a favorite target for trophy hunters the world over. Some states even allow unsporting bear baiting, hounding (cruel to bears and dogs) and spring hunts, which can orphan cubs to die slowly.

The California Department of Fish and Game Bear Policy has been posted in the 2nd comment in the post entitled “A Day to Remember”. It is actually a very good policy and very interesting reading. However, it was not followed by DFG, which shows why Ojai needs to have an emergency response network in place for any future events like “A Day to Remember”. If you want to be a part of such a network, let us know via email.

Lilly the black bear is about to give birth to cubs. PLEASE visit the webcam @
www.wildearth.tv
This is a first, for all bear lovers,

Enjoy

Julia J. Di Sieno
Executive Director
Animal Rescue Team, inc.
805 896-1859
www.animalrescueteam.net

Take nothing but photographs. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.