Murphy Ignored Calls To Resume Bear Hunt!

A special message from New Jersey State Senator Michael Testa:

I applaud the efforts of so many in New Jersey to reinstate the annual bear hunt to help manage the state’s black bear population and join with them in calling for its start.

Over the past four years, Phil Murphy ignored the scientific basis for the management program instead handing over policy to radical environmentalists who travel to NW New Jersey from their leafy suburbs to protest. They ignored the science on how the hunt helps manage the bear population and reduces harmful bear interactions with livestock, pets, and humans.

Meanwhile, according to the Division of Fish & Wildlife, who actually do the science continued its work on black bears and compiling human-bear encounters which nearly tripled this year compared to 2021 statistics. The Fish and Game Council followed the science and to his credit, so did Gov. Murphy.

In fact, the Governor should have never ended the bear hunt but the political pressure he put himself under outweighed, in his mind, the benefits to residents of our northwestern counties.

Enough is enough. My friends in NW NJ are right to support the hunt’s immediate reinstatement including my colleagues in the Legislature, State Sens. Steve Oroho and Mike Doherty and Assm. Hal Wirths, Parker Space, John DiMaio and Erik Peterson as well as members of the Sussex and Warren County Commissions.

I hope the courts will dismiss the opponents' frivolous filing and will act to help protect life and property in our state and manage our black bear population humanely and properly.

228Nora Craig, Michael Testa and 226 others

88 comments

34 shares

Like

Comment

Share