Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) took to the Senate floor last month to denounce the previous rule that the U.S. ALASKA, USA — This week, the Trump administration reversed an Obama-era guideline that prohibited hunters from shooting hibernating mother bears and cubs in their dens, according to CBS News. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Hunting bears over bait goes against everything we strive to teach the public about not habituating bears and presents a danger to other park visitors who may run into these habituated bears. Hunters in Alaska can now shoot hibernating bears and use aircraft to track their targets, after the Trump administration repealed Obama-era wildlife protection laws. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. "If the Senate and President concur, we'll see wolf families killed in their dens [and] bears chased down by planes.". What the hunting rule change in Alaska means. Habitat: mixed woodland and open areas. Critics of the bill argue that Congress had approved the killing of hibernating bears and denned wolves — but it’s not quite that simple. Under the previous law, hunters were prohibited from aggressive tactics such shooting or trapping wolves while at their dens with cubs, spotting grizzly bears from aircraft, killing hibernating bears, trapping bears with wire snares and luring bears with food to get a point-blank kill. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Apr 10, 2017 Getty Images . The Trump administration is finalizing rules that will allow hunters in Alaska’s national preserves to shoot bears and wolves, and their cubs and pups, while they are … "What the House did today should shock the conscience of every animal lover in America," Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the Humane Society, The Trump administration has been working to. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. Press secretary Sean Spicer said last week that the administration would make a final decision on whether to withdraw from the treaty by May. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Breaking news: U.S. will allow cruel trophy hunting practices to kill hibernating bears and wolf pups on Alaska’s federal lands By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson . In the colder, northern parts of Alaska, bears hibernate about 7 months of the year. Grizzly Bears have been an endangered species but numbers have been increasing thanks to conservation efforts, Hunters in Alaska can now shoot hibernating bears and use aircraft to track their targets, after the Trump administration repealed Obama-era. However, animal welfare groups have reacted with dismay to the new legislation. Add your voice. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Monday, which rolled back Alaska’s ban on killing the vulnerable bears, along with wolf cubs in dens. The resolution rolls back previous federal protections of wildlife on national land. Res. The National Rifle Association (NRA), America’s highly influential gun rights lobby, has also supported the bill. Grizzly bears generally live in high country above timberline where they dig for roots and ground squirrels, eat berries, and actively hunt caribou and other wildlife. Today, we are releasing chilling footage of Andrew and Owen Renner’s now infamous – and illegal – black bear trophy hunt in Alaska last April, so you can see what grisly fate awaits the state’s native carnivores if the U.S. government goes ahead with a proposal to roll back protections for these animals on federal lands. Native: Northwest America, Alaska, Canada and Russia, isolated populations in Europe. ©2021 Verizon Media. Murkowski called it “bad for Alaska, bad for hunters, bad for our native peoples, bad for America,” and a “direct attack on states’ rights.”, In Sullivan’s argument, the lawmaker said the change was for Alaskans “who value hunting as a deep part of their culture.”. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Sometimes classified as sub-species Ursus arctos horribilis. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? The move reverses an Obama-era ban on hunting methods, such as baiting bears with doughnuts and shooting swimming caribou from a boat. Now Trump’s Interior Department has rescinded the ban, firing … By Maria Carter. Hunting regulations in Alaska have recently been under debate, and this case makes animal lovers all the more determined to protect the animals impacted. By late March 2017, both chambers of Congress had approved H.J. All rights reserved. The hunters in our area who apply for these tags are not local subsistence users, but generally temporary residents attached to the various military bases. A brown bear fishes for salmon at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska, on September 17, 2018. Theme: Environment, Law and Justice. In an earlier debate, Mr Young said: "We have to recognise this is not about the little polar bears, the little grizzly bears or wolves on television, this is about the state's right to manage — not allowing the federal government to do so.". Register for free to get the Insider newsletter, events and more. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Monday, which rolled back Alaska’s ban on killing the vulnerable bears, along with wolf cubs in dens. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Hunters in Alaska can now track and kill hibernating bears thanks to a U.S. House and Senate resolution rolling back Obama-era regulations against the practice. The US Humane Society released a sickening surveillance video this week, showing a father and son from Alaska illegally killing a black bear and her two newly-born cubs. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Trump Faces Backlash Over Rollback of Obama-Era Alaska Hunting Regulations Meghan Roos 5/28/2020. Brown and grizzly be… It also allows for hunters to target the animals from helicopters. Donald Trump makes it legal to shoot hibernating bears, Paris Agreement on climate change is 'bad deal', US eco-chief claims, Trump's budget labelled 'all-out assault on clean air and water', Trump plans EPA budget cut that would end its climate change research, Trump plans to cut spending on EPA climate change programme by 70%, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Last week, the President signed an executive order paving the way for the repeal of the Clean Power Plan, a flagship Obama climate policy which would have mandated corporations to significantly curb their greenhouse gas emissions. “What the House did today should shock the conscience of every animal lover in America,” said Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle in a statement. The Republican-sponsored legislation, H.J. Hunters in Alaska can now track and kill hibernating bears thanks to a U.S. House and Senate resolution rolling back Obama-era regulations against the practice. Congress Just Made It Officially Legal To Kill Hibernating Bears. Part of HuffPost Politics. Hunters in Alaska will soon be allowed to use bacon grease and doughnuts to bait brown bears, spotlights to shoot hibernating mother bears and cubs in … Trump Administration Wants to Reinstate Cruel Hunting Practices in Alaska, Like Killing Hibernating Bears, Shooting Wolf Pups in Dens. Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Trump administration reverses Alaska hunting ban and allows black bear cubs, wolf pups to be killed in dens. Press secretary Sean Spicer said last week that the administration would make a final decision on whether to withdraw from the treaty by May. FAIRBANKS — Congressional debate about Alaska hunting rules in April brought a spotlight on a little-understood Alaska Native technique of hunting bears in dens. "What the House did today should shock the conscience of every animal lover in America," Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the Humane Society, said in a statement after state Representatives approved the bill by a vote of 225-193 last month. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. It's Now Legal to Kill Hibernating Bears in Alaska. The photograph was posted to the Alaska Peninsula and BNWR Facebook page in 2016, along with the following message: Last day for spring bear hunting is today! The new rule, announced this week by the National Park Service and shared in the Federal Register, would allow for the hunting of black bears – including sows and cubs – … Bears have developed unique adaptive strategies in order to survive for so long without food and water. New laws should 'should shock the conscience of every animal lover in America', say conservationists, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The National Rifle Association (NRA), America’s highly influential gun rights lobby, has also, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. The U.S. Senate just voted 52-47 to allow barbaric hunting tactics such as killing hibernating bear families in their dens - and now the lives of countless animals on 76 million acres of federal wildlife refuges in Alaska are in President Donald Trump's hands. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. 69, a measure that would rollback federal protections for bears, wolves and other predators on national preserves in Alaska. The Republican-sponsored legislation impacts 76.8 million acres of federally protected national preserves across Alaska. Important conversations are happening now. Res. The resolution, which was authored by Ronald D Young, Republican Congressman for Alaska, will repeal the old federal legislation and return predator control laws to the state. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. The Trump administration has been working to dismantle Obama’s environmental legacy, repealing a number of other federal climate and conservation laws. Young said that if Alaskans weren’t happy with the bill, they should stop re-electing him. The state of is home to 16 US national wildlife refuges, covering 76 million acres of land. “Senate Republicans have shown just how mean-spirited and petty they are with today’s vote,” he said in a statement following the passed measure in March. Today is National Voter Registration Day! A Humane Nation 21 May 2018. The Humane Society of the United States condemned the rollback. Region: USA. Alaska requires nonresidents hunting brown/grizzly bears, Dall sheep, or mountain goats to be accompanied by an Alaska-licensed guide or by an Alaska resident at least 19 years of age who is a close relative, defined as within the "second degree of kindred.” Nonresident aliens are required to have a guide to hunt any big-game animal in Alaska. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who introduced the measure, argued that states’ rights were being infringed upon by the rule. By Kitty Block. Hunters can now target sleeping bears on federal wildlife refuges, after President Trump signed a new bill into law last week. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. “We want to be able to take and manage our fish and game for the sustainable yield — so that our fish and game will be there forever.”, Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said killing predators in such a “cruel, unsportsmanlike fashion is outrageous.”. By Blog Editor on May 20, 2020 with 154 Comments. Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA. The FWS rule facing repeal explicitly prohibited many kinds of "predator control" on the 16 federally owned refuges in Alaska. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. “If the Senate and president concur, we’ll see wolf families killed in their dens [and] bears chased down by planes.”. Hunters will soon be allowed to venture into national preserves in Alaska and engage in practices that conservation groups say are reprehensible: baiting hibernating bears … A new bill on Alaskan hunting has now passed through the House and the Senate and was officially signed off by the President this week. Bear-baiting on federal reserves in Alaska was banned by the Obama administration. They thrive on berries, carrion, vegetation and other wildlife. on Alaskan hunting has now passed through the House and the Senate and was officially signed off by the President this week. On the campaign trail, Mr Trump also vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris Accord a global climate change agree, which would have committed the government to reducing emissions by at least 26%. Sens. Is it technically hunting if your prey is sleeping? Hunters in Alaska can now shoot hibernating bears and use aircraft to track their targets, after the Trump administration repealed Obama-era wildlife protection laws. Bears in the warmer, coastal regions of the state hibernate for 2-5 months, with the longer hibernation time for bears raising newborn cubs. The White House is currently reviewing the terms of the Agreement. Fish and Wildlife Service issued in August. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! Global Research, May 24, 2018. Other common name: Grizzly bear. “[We are] fighting to save America's black bears from the threat of systematic and sanctioned cruelty," Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), wrote after the news of the sentencing … It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. “We have to recognize this is not about the little polar bears, the little grizzly bears or wolves on television, this is about the state’s right to manage — not allowing the federal government to do so,” Young said in testimony in February. Here’s how. Black bears prefer the mixed habitats of lowlands, like those of the Tanana Flats. 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