Draw the Line on Alaska's Cruel Hunt
- by: Center for Biological Diversity
- recipient: Joel Hard, Deputy Regional Director of the National Parks Service
Increasingly the state of Alaska has been targeting wolves and bears, even in our national preserves, in an effort to boost moose and caribou populations for the benefit of human hunters.
In addition to being cruel, this behavior threatens to upset the area’s natural balance.
Unsporting hunting practices include shooting bears over bait and killing wolves, coyotes and bears in their dens, when they're raising young or when they're very young themselves. Such acts are considered taboo throughout much of the world; yet the state of Alaska will allow any measure, so long as it kills off as many wolves and bears as possible.
It's a management style that has nothing to do with sound science and directly conflicts with the National Park Service's mandates to conserve wildlife and maintain natural processes on national preserves. For this reason the Park Service has proposed permanent rules exempting these preserves from the state's hunting methods.
Take action — tell the National Park Service you fully support its new rules to protect wildlife and defend the natural character of our national preserves.
In addition to being cruel, this behavior threatens to upset the area’s natural balance.
Unsporting hunting practices include shooting bears over bait and killing wolves, coyotes and bears in their dens, when they're raising young or when they're very young themselves. Such acts are considered taboo throughout much of the world; yet the state of Alaska will allow any measure, so long as it kills off as many wolves and bears as possible.
It's a management style that has nothing to do with sound science and directly conflicts with the National Park Service's mandates to conserve wildlife and maintain natural processes on national preserves. For this reason the Park Service has proposed permanent rules exempting these preserves from the state's hunting methods.
Take action — tell the National Park Service you fully support its new rules to protect wildlife and defend the natural character of our national preserves.
Dear Deputy Regional Director Hard,
I am writing to thank you for taking a bold stand to protect wildlife on Alaska's national preserves. I fully support the protective measures set forth in the newly proposed rules that would prohibit such barbaric "hunting" practices as bear baiting; killing wolves, coyotes and bears with pups and cubs; and killing denning wildlife.
Manipulating predator populations just to boost the number of prey animals for human consumption goes directly against the legislated purpose of our national preserves. These hunting practices also pose a danger to humans and wildlife in the area, and rarely occur anywhere in the world because they're cruel, unsporting and unsustainable. The Board of Game and state of Alaska have repeatedly refused to work with the National Park Service to exempt national preserve lands from the recent changes to these hunting rules.
Specifically, I support the Park Service's proposed rule changes that would prohibit historically illegal practices for hunting wildlife for sport. These include taking black bear cubs and sows with artificial light at den sites, taking brown bears over bait, and taking wolves and coyotes during the denning season. But I ask that the Park Service also prohibit in its final rule black bear baiting and hunting bears with dogs, both of which are unsporting methods. Black bear baiting causes further harm by conditioning bears and other wildlife to human-provided food and habituating wildlife to human activity. And allowing dogs to run on national preserves poses a threat to both native species and the dogs themselves.
Thank you for putting wildlife first and refusing to bend to the extreme campaign against predators launched by the Board of Game and state of Alaska. I applaud your proposed rule changes and perseverance in addressing this issue.
[Add your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionI am writing to thank you for taking a bold stand to protect wildlife on Alaska's national preserves. I fully support the protective measures set forth in the newly proposed rules that would prohibit such barbaric "hunting" practices as bear baiting; killing wolves, coyotes and bears with pups and cubs; and killing denning wildlife.
Manipulating predator populations just to boost the number of prey animals for human consumption goes directly against the legislated purpose of our national preserves. These hunting practices also pose a danger to humans and wildlife in the area, and rarely occur anywhere in the world because they're cruel, unsporting and unsustainable. The Board of Game and state of Alaska have repeatedly refused to work with the National Park Service to exempt national preserve lands from the recent changes to these hunting rules.
Specifically, I support the Park Service's proposed rule changes that would prohibit historically illegal practices for hunting wildlife for sport. These include taking black bear cubs and sows with artificial light at den sites, taking brown bears over bait, and taking wolves and coyotes during the denning season. But I ask that the Park Service also prohibit in its final rule black bear baiting and hunting bears with dogs, both of which are unsporting methods. Black bear baiting causes further harm by conditioning bears and other wildlife to human-provided food and habituating wildlife to human activity. And allowing dogs to run on national preserves poses a threat to both native species and the dogs themselves.
Thank you for putting wildlife first and refusing to bend to the extreme campaign against predators launched by the Board of Game and state of Alaska. I applaud your proposed rule changes and perseverance in addressing this issue.
[Add your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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