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September 16, 2010
STATE
CANCELS PROPOSED BEAR HUNTING SEASON
IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Department of Fish & Game
Withdraws Plans for the
First-Ever Black Bear Hunting Season
San Luis
Obispo, Calif. – Late yesterday, in a victory for our region’s
wildlife, the Department of Fish & Game formally withdrew its
proposal to allow the first-ever black bear hunting season in
San Luis Obispo County. In making the announcement, Department
officials cited the need to gather additional data for several
years so that the agency could adequately respond to public
concerns.
This was
the third time in two years that the Department cancelled plans
to open San Luis Obispo County to bear hunting. The Department
initially released its proposal in February 2009, allowing up to
fifty bears per year to be killed in San Luis Obispo County,
primarily in the Los Padres National Forest. The Department
withdrew that proposal in April 2009, only to reissue it again
in February 2010, along with additional proposals to remove the
numerical limit on the number of bears that could be killed each
year statewide and allowing hunters to use high-tech GPS devices
to track bears.
That
proposal was withdrawn in March 2010, and yesterday’s
announcement cancelled any plans the Department had to allow
bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County in 2011 and beyond. At
yesterday’s hearing, the Department also withdrew plans to allow
GPS devices.
“We’re
pleased that Fish & Game finally understands the necessity of
accurate population studies,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive
director of Los Padres ForestWatch, a nonprofit conservation
organization that spearheaded efforts to defeat the San Luis
Obispo County hunting proposal. “From the beginning, the
Department’s proposals were plagued by missing data and
mathematical errors. Our County’s bears deserve better.”
Responding
to ForestWatch complaints that last year's proposal was not
based on an accurate population study, this year’s proposal
provided an estimate that 1,067 black bears occur in San Luis
Obispo County. In calculating that number, Department officials
assumed that 4,918 square miles of bear habitat exists in the
County, even though – 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 amount of bear habitat by more than
150%, the State had grossly inflated the number of bears in the
County.
The
announcement was made during the Fish & Game Commission’s
hearing yesterday in McClellan, California. During that hearing,
Dr. Eric Loft, the Chief of the Department’s Wildlife Branch,
stated: “We do not plan to come back with additional hunt
proposals in the Central Coast Range in 2011. Instead, over the
next few years, we’re going to plan to further assess that
relatively new and growing population that’s in the Central
Coast.”
Dr. Loft
later referred to public comments on the Department’s
environmental analysis as the primary reason for gathering
additional data. “Because of the comments that we received on
our environmental document, we actually believe it would be
fruitful for us to go back and gather some additional data on
the bear population in that part of the state,” said Dr. Loft.
Earlier
this year, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
approved 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. In addition,
the Department received more than 10,000 public comments
opposing the bear hunting expansion proposal. These comments –
particulary those submitted by Dr. Rick Hopkins, one of the most
experienced wildlife biologists in the state, coupled with a
letter authored by wildlife attorney Bill Yeates of the Kenyon
Yeates law firm in Sacramento – were cited by Fish & Game
officials when the 2010 plan was temporarily tabled in March.
“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,” said Kuyper. 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.
ForestWatch estimates that it will take several years for the
Department to gather data needed for an accurate population
study. “Until then, our region’s black bears will continue to
have the freedom to roam in the Los Padres National Forest.”
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