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March 29, 2010
TROPHY Hunting of Black Bears
PROPOSED FOR SLO COUNTY...AGAIN
The State
Proposal is Riddled With Errors;
Board of Supervisors Approve Resolution Opposing Bear Hunt;
ForestWatch Submits Detailed Legal & Scientific Comments
In February, the
California Department of Fish & Game formally announced its
second attempt to allow trophy hunting of black bears in San
Luis Obispo County. The proposal - similar to one defeated by
ForestWatch last year - would target as many as fifty black
bears each year, primarily in the Los Padres National Forest.
The changes are
being made as part of a large package of amendments to the
state's mammal hunting regulations. The Fish & Game Commission
will accept public testimony on the amendments at its April 8
hearing in Monterey, and is slated to approve the changes during
a teleconference on April 21. The Commission will accept
comments on the proposed changes through April 10.
photo by Norbert Rosing,
National Geographic
A
similar proposal was soundly defeated last year because Fish
& Game failed to provide any population estimates for bears in
San Luis Obispo County. Instead, the agency only conducted a
cursory study by hanging cans of fish from tree limbs,
occasionally visiting the bait sites and recording signs of
teeth marks or bear prints. While these studies indicate where bears are located, more detailed
studies (such as radio telemetry, DNA analysis of hair or scat,
or mark-recapture) were not performed, leaving biologists with
no data to estimate the actual number of bears in the
county. Having accurate bear population data is critical - without it, the
Department has no scientific basis to determine if, and at what
levels, hunting should occur. Because this information was
missing, ForestWatch last year hired one of the state's leading
bear biologist, and one of the state's premier wildlife
attorneys, to submit a 94-page letter critiquing the hunting
proposal. Based on that letter, the Fish and Game Commission
voted last year to table the proposal.
New Proposal, Same Flaws
This year, Fish & Game has
essentially released the same proposal, seeking once again to
establish the first-ever bear hunting season in San Luis Obispo
County. Responding to
ForestWatch complaints that last year's proposal was not based
on an accurate population study, this year Fish & Game officials
estimated that 1,067 black bears are found in San Luis Obispo
County. That estimate is based on Table 2.5 in the agency's
Draft Environmental
Document, which divides the county up into "high," "medium,"
and "low" quality bear habitat. Adding these numbers together,
the table indicates that there is a combined 4,918 square miles
of bear habitat in the County. The agency used this figure to
then estimate how many bears total are in the County.
The problem with this number is that, according to the
U.S. Census Bureau, San Luis Obispo County spans only 3,304
square miles of land, not 4,918. By overestimating the size of
the County by nearly 50%, Fish & Game has grossly inflated the
amount of bear habitat in the County, and thus, the number of
bears.
The Department also based its estimate on “anecdotal evidence,”
bait stations (cans of fish hanging from trees), and a few
motion-sensor cameras.
"Our County's black bears deserve much more than this
back-of-the-envelope arithmetic," said Jeff Kuyper, ForestWatch
executive director. "It doesn’t satisfy the fundamental
requirement for any scientifically-sound wildlife management
proposal – an accurate population survey."
Fish & Game decided against using
more accurate population indicators that are used by wildlife
management agencies in other states. For example, DNA analysis
of hair or scat can distinguish one bear from another, providing
precisely the data needed for a reliable population estimate.
Oklahoma recently completed a DNA study of its bears.
Because of errors like these, Dr. Rick Hopkins – one of the
state’s top wildlife biologists – is recommending that the Fish
& Game Commission reject the proposal and its “error-riddled
analysis.” ForestWatch teamed up with two national organizations
- Big Wildife and the Humane Society of the United States - to
retain Dr. Hopkins and attorney Bill Yeates, submitting a
detailed critique of the proposal. Our letter was submitted to
Fish & Game on March 15.
Supervisors Speak Out
To add insult to injury, Fish &
Game will not be holding a local hearing on this issue. Last
year, the Commission held three hearings on this matter in
Sacramento, Woodland, and Lodi, all more than six hours from SLO.
Such a long drive prevented most residents from attending the
hearing to learn more about the proposal and express their
opinions in person.
This year, unfortunately, is no different. The Commission has
scheduled three hearings on this matter – one in Sacramento, one
in Ontario, and one in Monterey.
Last month, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
issued a
resolution opposing the black bear hunting proposal. The
Board’s opposition was based, in large part, on Fish & Game’s
continued refusal to hold a local hearing. ForestWatch
recognizes Supervisor Gibson for introducing the resolution, and
Supervisors Mecham, Patterson, and Hill for supporting it.
Help Protect Our Region's Black Bears
We all need to voice our concerns loud and clear about any
expansion of bear hunting into San Luis Obispo County. Please
take a few moments today to tell the Department that you want
accurate population studies of our County’s bears before a hunt
is authorized. And request a public hearing on this issue in San
Luis Obispo County.
You can submit your comments in two ways:
1. Attend the April 8 hearing in Monterey.
2. Write a letter to the California Fish & Game Commission. To
be most effective, your letter must be received by the
Commission no later than April 10. Send your comments to the
California Fish & Game Commission at
fgc@fgc.ca.gov or 1416 Ninth
Street, Room 1320, Sacramento, CA 95814.
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