NJ Governor says NO to Black Bear Hunt & Supreme Court Does Nothing

[Al Dente]

From the newspapers on Friday, NJ Governor John Corzine has said that he feels there is no need for a Black Bear hunt this year.  Until he feels that there's a need for it, he will not OK one.  

Guys in Jersey get on the telephone and call your legislators.  What's it gonna take, a kid getting mauled, or pets disappearing to get this guy to think sensibly?

[vermonster13]

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine plans to cancel the 2006 black bear hunt by refusing to sign the state’s hunting and fishing regulations.

 

Gov. Corzine, who is a staunch opponent of the state’s bear season, refuses to approve a routine five-year renewal of state fish and wildlife regulations.  The measure, which regulates hunting and fishing in New Jersey, calls for annual black bear hunts through 2009.

 

“The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is committed to ensuring the future of bear hunting in New Jersey,” said U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) Senior Vice President Rick Story.  “Our legal team is evaluating the situation to determine our options in protecting the hunt.”

 

The USSAF and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs sued the DEP and its Commissioner, Bradley Campbell, when the Commissioner cancelled the 2004 black bear hunt.  The sportsmen’s groups argued that the council’s authority to set hunting seasons is not subject to a DEP veto.  A lower court agreed, but the Supreme Court handed the authority to the Commissioner.

 

In 2003, when the state initially approved its bear season, the USSAF battled antis’ legal challenges to stop the hunt.  It has been in court each year since to protect the hunt.

 

This year’s bear season is scheduled to begin Dec. 4.

[Al Dente]

It is a no-go.  Governor Corzine is not convinced that the hunt last year in which 300 black bears were harvested did anything to control the population.  He wants more info.

[vermonster13]

So not hunting them will control it better? What is wrong wih this guy?

[Al Dente]

Here's the exact article as it appeared yesterday:

Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday rejected a bear hunt for this year and ordered state environmental officials to control bears without killing them.

Corzine had until yesterday to re-adopt regulations authorizing a bear hunt from Dec. 4-9 in the state's northwestern region, but declined to take action, arguing the state hasn't given enough consideration to other bear control methods.  Instead, Corzine ordered state Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson to review the effectiveness of the state's bear management plan and whether last year's bear hunt, in which 300 bears were killed, helped reduce contact between bears and people.

We should first consider "significant new, non'lethal bear mitigation measures," Corzine said.

[vermonster13]

America’s leading sportsmen’s rights organization is calling out the dogs on New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.

 

At issue is the governor’s order to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to scrap the scheduled 2006 black bear hunting season.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), which has been fighting to protect the bear hunting season since 2003, is asking New Jersey sportsmen to voice their complaints to Gov. Corzine, DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson, as well as local newspapers and talk radio.

 

“The governor’s decision is an attack on hunters and a threat to public safety,” said Rob Sexton, USSA vice president for government affairs.  “The top wildlife professionals in New Jersey designed a plan to control black bears, and hunting is a key ingredient.  Hunters deserve the opportunity, and more important, the public needs a governor who puts the lives of people ahead of politics.”

 

Corzine, who says the policy “does not reflect my views on the hunt,” has asked DEP Commissioner Jackson to spend tax dollars on alternatives to hunting before he will approve the hunt.  In the meantime, black bear numbers continue to rise and research continues to show that bear birth control measures, which are favored by hunt opponents, are ineffective.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund (U.S. SLDF), the USSA’s legal arm, along with Safari Club International and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs will be bringing suit against the state of New Jersey.

 

New Jersey sportsmen must take action! Gov. Corzine is risking the safety of New Jersey citizens and is willing to waste taxpayer dollars to do it. Contact Gov. Corzine and DEP Commissioner Jackson and urge them to put people before politics.  Tell them you want the bear hunt.

 

Don’t stop there!  The USSA is asking sportsmen to write letters to local newspapers, and to call local talk radio programs to spread the word about the governor’s decision to stop the bear hunt.

 

Below is contact information for the Governor, the DEP Commissioner, local newspapers and radio stations.

 

Gov. Jon Corzine

State House

PO Box 001

Trenton, NJ 08625

(609) 292-6000

South Jersey Office (856) 614-3200

North Jersey Office (973) 648-2640

Fax: (609) 292-3454

 

Lisa Jackson, Commissioner

Department of Environmental Protection

401 E. State St.

7th Floor, East Wing

PO Box 402

Trenton, NJ 08625-0402

Phone: (609) 292-2885

Fax: (609) 292-7695

 

For sample letters, visit the USSA’s Legislative Action Center.

 

Write Letters to the Editor

A letter to the editor can educate others about the importance of New Jersey’s bear hunt.  It will also help drive home the message that sportsmen are behind the issue and will speak up to make sure their voices are heard.

Remember these things when composing an effective letter:

 

    * Know your newspaper or magazine’s policy on writing letters to the editor;
    * Know length requirements and what information must be sent with the letter;
    * Discuss recent information;
    * Keep the letter short and simple. Focus on one issue in four paragraphs or less.
    * Prove local relevance by using local statistics, personal stories and specific names;
    * Follow-up by phone when you submit a letter.

 

Add these to the list of newspapers you plan to contact:

 

Newark Star-Ledger*

Editorial Department

The Star-Ledger

1 Star-Ledger Plaza

Newark, NJ 07102-1200

Editorial Page Editor: Fran Dauth

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (973) 392-1536

* Letters must not exceed 200 words.

 

Daily Record

Letters to the Editor

Daily Record

800 Jefferson Rd.

Parsippany, NJ 07054

Editorial Page Editor: Fred Snowflack

Fax: (973) 428-6666

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (973) 428-6617

 

Asbury Park Press

Your Views

Asbury Park Press

3601 Highway 66, Box 1550

Neptune, NJ 07754-1551

Fax: (732) 643-4014

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Press of Atlantic City**

The Press Editorial Page

11 Devins Lane

Pleasantville, NJ 08232

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (609) 272-7266 or 272-7267

** Does not accept letters without name, full address, daytime and evening phone numbers. Letters are subject to editing. The shorter the letter, the more likely it will be published. For full details of The Press letters policy, call (609) 272-7279.

 

Bergen-Hackensack Record

Letters to the Editor

The Record

150 River St.

Hackensack, NJ 07601-7172

Fax: (201) 646-4749

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (201) 678-3925 ext. 2

 

Bridgewater Courier News

1201 Route 22

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Contact: Angela Haley

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (908) 707-3138

 

South Jersey Courier-Post

Mark Correa, Editorial Page Editor

South Jersey Courier-Post

PO Box 5300

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (856) 663-6000

 

Home News Tribune

Letters to the Editor

Home News Tribune

35 Kennedy Blvd.

East Brunswick, NJ 08816

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: (732) 565-7208

 

Easton Express-Times

Jim Flagg, Editorial Page Editor

Easton Express-Times

30 N. 4th St., PO Box 391

Easton, PA 18044-0391

Send Letter to Editor online:  http://www.pennlive.com/mailforms/expressletters/

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 610-258-7171 ext. 3547

 

Jersey City Journal

Send Letter to the Editor online:  http://www.nj.com/mailforms/journalletters/

 

New Jersey Herald

The New Jersey Herald
2 Spring Street
P.O. Box 10
Newton, NJ 07860

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Trenton Times

Letters to the Editor

The Times

P.O. Box 847

Trenton, NJ 08605

Contact: Diana Groden

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: (609) 394-2819

 

Trentonian

600 Perry St.

Trenton, NJ 08618

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: (609) 393-6072

 

Contact Radio Stations

For example, Jim Gearhart is a radio personality on New Jersey’s 101.5 FM who recently lambasted Gov. Corzine for his decision to stop the hunt. Contact Gearhart weekdays from 6:00 am – 10:00 am at (800) 283-1015.  Speak up for sportsmen’s rights and speak up for the safety of New Jersey’s citizens.

 

Reach Out

Continue to reach out to fellow sportsmen, conservation club members, family and friends and urge them to support New Jersey’s black bear hunt.  Print this page and let them know how they can help protect wildlife management in New Jersey and keep the state’s citizens safe.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.  For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website,  www.ussportsmen.org.

Information on this website can be reprinted with a citation to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and  www.ussportsmen.org

[vermonster13]

Trenton) - New Jersey’s black bear season is in trouble again and three sportsmen’s conservation organizations have banded together to make sure that black bear hunting in New Jersey takes places this season.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund (U.S. SLDF), the litigation program of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF), Safari Club International, and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs have joined forces to sue the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Fish and Wildlife to challenge New Jersey’s refusal to move forward with the black bear season.

 

Although the season is set to begin on Dec. 4, state officials have taken no action to implement the hunt.

 

State statutes and regulations require that a hunt take place. New Jersey’s black bear management strategy, ordered in 2005 by the New Jersey Supreme Court, calls for bear hunting as an integral management tool.  

 

However, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has directed state officials to use only “non-lethal methods” to control the state’s bear population.  Despite increasing numbers of bear sightings and incidents, and the success of the state’s 2003 and 2005 bear seasons, Gov. Corzine has refused to permit wildlife officials to implement their scientifically derived strategy to manage bears and protect the public from overabundant bears this December. No permit applications have been solicited, no permits issued and no training classes scheduled.  

 

The U.S. SLDF, Safari Club International and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs will jointly file suit to challenge the state’s refusal to move forward with the bear hunt.

 

“New Jersey’s governor has decided that politics are more important than the safety of residents in bear country and the health and stability of the bear population itself,” said Rob Sexton, vice president for government affairs of the USSAF.  “It is up to people who truly care about wildlife conservation to stand up and defend sound principles of wildlife management and common sense.”  

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund is the nation’s only litigation force that exclusively represents sportsmen’s interests in the courts.  It defends wildlife management and sportsmen’s rights in local, state and federal courts.  The SLDF represents the interests of sportsmen and assists government lawyers who have little or no background in wildlife law.

 

--30--

Information on this website can be reprinted with a citation to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and  www.ussportsmen.org

[vermonster13]

New Jersey’s top environmental official has terminated the 2006 bear hunt.

 

In response, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, along with Safari Club International and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, have amended their recently filed lawsuit against the state to challenge the cancellation and allow bear hunting permits to be issued.

 

The three groups had filed suit earlier this month to force the state to issue bear hunting permits, as required by law.

 

On Nov. 15, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Jackson rejected the state’s black bear management policy, which called for the December hunt.  In a letter to the New Jersey Fish and Game Council, Jackson said that non-lethal bear controls had not been given sufficient consideration.

 

“Clearly, Commissioner Jackson does not have the authority to dismiss approved regulations on a whim,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) vice president for government affairs. “Her decision drags politics into wildlife management and disregards the sound science on which it should be based.”

 

Despite increasing bear sightings and incidents, and successful hunts in 2003 and 2005, Jackson and Gov. Jon Corzine have put politics ahead of public safety.  Gov. Corzine, who campaigned for office as a hunt opponent, directed the DEP Commissioner to analyze the policy permitting the hunt.

 

New Jersey’s black bear hunt had been scheduled for Dec. 4-9.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund is the nation’s only litigation force that exclusively represents sportsmen’s interests in the courts.  It defends wildlife management and sportsmen’s rights in local, state and federal courts.  The SLDF represents the interests of sportsmen and assists government lawyers who have little or no background in wildlife law.

[Al Dente]

The State DEP has not cancelled the scheduled bear hunting safety classes though.

[Ray Hammond]

Until we put term limits on politicians this is the sort of stuff that will continually happen to us- politicians making decisions based on what gets them relected to their big money/power jobs instead of what makes sense as a public servant.

They aren't servants now- they are high paid actors, blowing WITH the wind like a cheap flag.

[vermonster13]

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, along with Safari Club International and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, are appealing to the New Jersey Supreme Court to seek an emergency injunction that would  restore the state’s 2006 black bear hunt.

 

The groups are asking the high court to force the state to proceed with the 2006 bear hunt while the court decides whether Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Jackson has the authority to discard the state’s black bear management plan and cancel the hunt.

 

On Nov. 22, a lower court denied an immediate order to protect the hunt.

 

“In a perplexing decision, the appellate court ruled that sportsmen did not demonstrate how they would suffer ‘irreparable harm’ if no hunt occurs this year,” said Rick Story, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) senior vice president. “The same court ruled in our favor when we challenged the antis’ attempt to stop the 2004 bear hunt.  In that case the court obviously found that we had proven irreparable harm.”

 

On Nov. 21, the USSAF and its partners in the suit argued before three appellate court judges that Jackson had overstepped her authority by nixing the 2006 bear hunt.

 

“The state’s black bear management policy was adopted based upon recommendations made by the Division of Fish and Wildlife,” said Story. “There were open deliberations by the Fish and Game Council, and input and approval by the previous Commissioner. A new Commissioner cannot simply toss out the policy because she does not agree with it.”

 

Sportsmen argue that Jackson’s decision was arbitrary and ignored sound science. Jackson and Gov. Jon Corzine, who indicated publicly that he opposes bear hunting, are stopping the hunt because it goes against their political beliefs, not because of scientific reasoning.

 

“Despite increasing bear sightings and incidents, and successful hunts in 2003 and 2005, Jackson and Governor Corzine have put politics ahead of public safety,” said Story.

 

The USSAF, Safari Club International, and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs filed suit against the state on Nov. 3 to force the issuance of bear hunting permits as required by law. The groups amended the suit when Commissioner Jackson cancelled the hunt on Nov. 15.

[vermonster13]

State Defends Canceling December Bear Hunt

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - November 28, 2006 - Lawyers for the state argue that canceling the black bear hunt would not harm Garden State hunters because they could go elsewhere to bag their prey.

In a filing with the state Supreme Court, the Attorney General's office also argued that Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson had the authority to cancel the hunt.

The state was responding to an appeal filed by three hunting groups that want to quickly overturn the cancellation in time to have a hunt this December.

The New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Safari Club International and the U-S Sportsmen's Alliance saw their bid for a quick reinstatement of the hunt nixed last Wednesday by a state appellate panel. They then appealed to the state Supreme Court.

It is not clear when, or if, the high court will rule on their request.


 http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=4805125


Hunters 135000
Anglers 806,000
Total Expenditures $987 million
Total Jobs 15000
Salaries and Wages $414 million
State Tax Revenue $62 million
Ripple Effect on the State Economy $1.72 billion

 http://www.sportsmenslink.org/Sportm...tate.asp?id=30

[vermonster13]

Through its inaction New Jersey’s highest court blocked the state’s 2006 black bear hunt.

 

On Nov. 29, the Supreme Court refused to consider an emergency injunction that would have compelled the state to proceed with the 2006 hunt set to begin on December 4. The court ruled that the cancellation of the season would not cause sportsmen ‘irreparable harm.’ The bear hunt had been terminated by the state’s top environmental official.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF), along with Safari Club International and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, sought the court order to allow the hunt to go on while a lower court decides whether Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Jackson has the authority to discard the state’s black bear management plan and cancel the hunt.

 

The state’s black bear management policy was adopted based upon recommendations made by wildlife professionals.  It was debated by the Fish and Game Council, and reviewed and approved by the previous DEP Commissioner.  The USSAF maintains that Commissioner Jackson cannot toss out the policy just because she does not agree with it.

 

Sportsmen argue that Jackson’s decision was arbitrary and ignored sound science. Jackson and Gov. Jon Corzine, who indicated publicly that he opposes bear hunting, are stopping the hunt because it goes against their political beliefs, not because of scientific reasoning.

 

Despite increasing bear sightings and incidents, and successful hunts in 2003 and 2005, Jackson and Gov. Corzine have put politics ahead of public safety.

 

A New Jersey appellate court is scheduled to hear the full case on Jackson’s decision in late March.

 

The USSAF, Safari Club International, and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs filed suit against the state on Nov. 3 to force the issuance of bear hunting permits as required by law. The groups amended the suit when Commissioner Jackson cancelled the hunt on Nov. 15.

[MI_Bowhunter]

So let me guess how it will unfold.    

Some people, probably kids, will get mauled and then they will have to come in and indiscriminately destroy the bears whereas their population could have easily been controlled by enacting a hunting season.

I agree with Ray, it seems like the "public" servants are more concerned with getting reelected then they are serving the best interests of the public.    Their task is supposed to be to make the best decision for the majority even if it conflicts with their feelings and of those that fund the campaigns.

I can accept defeat if that is what the majority truly wants but this outcome does not seem to be based on facts or in the best interest of the residents.

[Al Dente]

Bear complaints are up 45% from last year.  From October 20-November 20 2005 there were 109 complaints, and during the same time frame this year, 2006, there were 158 complaints.

[vermonster13]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 ext. 214

March 8, 2007

Court Allows DEP to Develop New Bear Policy

(Trenton) - A New Jersey Appellate Court will allow the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop a new black bear management plan.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and other sportsmen’s groups sued the state in 2006 when DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson arbitrarily discarded the approved plan, nixing last year’s bear hunt.

On March 7, an appeals court granted a motion by the DEP allowing the state until Aug. 10 to create a new black bear management policy. If a new policy is not approved by the deadline, the court will hear appeals in the case on Sept. 6. At such time, sportsmen will argue that the 2005 bear policy, which provided for hunting, should be reinstated.

If the DEP approves a new policy within the time limit, the court will still hear oral arguments in September. This will allow the court to consider whether the new plan is lawful and what to do if it is not.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund is the nation’s only litigation force that exclusively represents sportsmen’s interests in the courts. It defends wildlife management and sportsmen’s rights in local, state and federal courts. The SLDF represents the interests of sportsmen and assists government lawyers who have little or no background in wildlife law.

[Al Dente]

Governor Corzine has allotted $850,000 towards the education of black bear encounters.  HIS plan is to use taxpayers money to fund this ridiculous program that will teac humans how to avoid black bear encounters.

It also provides for the hiring of personnel and wildlife biologists to remove nuisance bears from areas and relocate them.

More sound conservation stregedy from Governor Corzine.