9/28/07
To The Editor:
The New Jersey
legislature is considering common sense legislation that would change
the way the state’s wildlife is managed, but this legislation is opposed
by the special interests of the hunting industry in favor of maintaining
the unbalanced status quo.
The Fish and Game
Council sets hunting seasons and kill limits for all hunted wildlife
species in the state. In accordance with current law, the majority of
the Council’s members are required to be hunters, and today, every
member of the council is a hunter or sides with the hunting lobby.
Since this Council has
a history of pandering to the fewer than one percent of New Jersey’s
residents who hunt, bills A3275 and S2041 have been introduced to ensure
that wildlife is managed in a fair and balanced way.
A3275 and S2041 would
reduce the number of Council members from eleven to seven, and would
remove the requirement that the majority of Council members be hunters.
In addition, the bills would ensure that no member of the council shall
have a direct personal financial interest that might reasonably be
expected to impair the person’s objectivity or independence of
judgment. Who could argue with the creation of an impartial Fish and
Game Council?
A3275 and S2041 expand
the duties of the Council to include: investigating the use of
non-lethal alternatives for dealing with wildlife conflicts; exploring
eco-tourism opportunities to promote the State’s diverse wildlife; and
pursuing opportunities to preserve land for wildlife habitat.
These are common-sense
changes to a system that has for more than one-hundred years mismanaged
wildlife and habitat only to benefit hunters at the expense of wildlife,
habitat and the general public. As an example of this, the Appellate
Division of New Jersey’s justice system recently ruled against the Fish
and Game Council when it found that Council’s Black Bear Management Plan
was “invalid” and that the Council disregarded laws and procedures when
it forced its policy – a policy that “did not lawfully exist” and “did
not have the force of law.” (NJARA et al. v. NJ Department of
Environmental Protection et al.)
A3275 and S2041 brings
wildlife management out of the dark ages and into a modern world where
the views of all residents are better represented, but this move is
opposed by the special interests in the hunting and weapons industries.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and by removing the stranglehold the
hunting lobby has on wildlife we can enhance wildlife and habitat for
the state’s residents and ensure that a fair and balanced system be
established. Please support A3275 and S2041 and make New Jersey a
better place for wildlife and people.
Joe Miele,
Vice-President
Wildlife Watch, Inc.
https://secure.townnews.com/strausnews.com/forms/letter.php
Fishing
and trapping to be banned in NJ
To the editor:
You heard it here first
A bill has been
proposed that the fish and game council be changed. Animal rights
advocates want to put their activists on the council so that they
can outlaw these outdoor activities.
This will cause the state
to lose millions of dollars from hunting families — dollars that are
put back into the environment.
For over 100 years our wildlife has been managed according to
science, not politics or activists’ opinions. New Jersey’s wildlife
is thriving due to the value placed on it through sustainable use.
To ignore scientific facts and research through animal rights
fanaticism is wrong.
The sporting public should not be denied the sustained use of these
abundant natural resources. Please contact your elected officials
and tell them to leave the fish and game council as it stands.
Eric Bunk
North Jersey Area Director,
Ted Nugent United
Sportsmen of America
http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2007/09/28/
west_milford_messenger/opinion/3.txt
