Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell urged the state Fish and Game Council yesterday not to have another bear hunt in New Jersey this year.
The council, which controls hunting in the state, will discuss the bear hunt issue when it meets Tuesday. Campbell is arguing, in part, that the state must make good on a promise not to use hunting as an exclusive tool to manage the state's bear population.
"Administration of the hunt in the context of substantial public controversy severely limits the staff time and resources available for public education, bear feeding-ban enforcement and development of immunocontraceptive alternatives," Campbell wrote in a letter to the council.
Last year, for the first time in 30 years, the state held a six-day bear hunt. Animal rights groups vehemently fought against the December hunt and held protests at hunting sites.
Campbell's announcement yesterday ignited a new firestorm with animal rights groups as well as pro-hunting forces accusing Campbell of playing politics.
"Mr. Campbell told me and other council members point blank last month that politics trumps science every time. He came out and told us that we are in an election cycle and the hunt could endanger McGreevey's re-election prospects," said George Howard, a Fish and Game Council member.
"That's hypocritical," Campbell countered. "I very visibly defended the very politically unpopular decision by the council last year to have a hunt."
To support his position, Campbell yesterday cited new data he said shows bear populations in northwest New Jersey to be half what biologists estimated last year. However, state biologists said the numbers he cited do not accurately reflect their findings which were made public yesterday.
"That is a deliberate misstatement of the biologists' report," said Howard.
In the new report based partly on data collected from the December hunt, biologists said they determined that 1,480 bears, two bears-per-square mile, live along the Kittatiny Mountains in Sussex County and the Bearfort Mountain Natural Area in Passaic County -- a total of 580 square miles.
Last year they concluded that 2,600 to 3,200 bears lived in a larger area, a 1,000-square-mile region, by studying a small area and then projecting an estimate for the area north of Route 78 and west of Route 287. This year they declined to extrapolate the date for the that area and limited their number to the Susssex-Passaic area.
Lynda Smith, leader of the anti-hunt group known as Bear Education And Research, said she was pleased to learn another hunt may not be held, but said she was skeptical about Campbell's motivations.
"I think both McGreevey and Campbell have tried to appease both ends with a hunt last year for the hunters and no hunt this year for the others," she said. "I don't know if we can trust them again."
McGreevey spokesperson Ellen Mellody said the governor supports Campbell's recommendation.
WELL I'M GLAD I HUNTED FOR BLACK BEARS LAST YEAR AND WAS SUCCESFUL!! ITS FUNNY, THEY OKd THE HUNT LAST YEAR TO PLEASE THE HUNTERS, NOW THAT ITS ELECTION TIME, ITS ALSO TIME TO PLEASE THE NON HUNTERS
Just read in the paper today March 10 The bear hunt passed 7 to 3. Cambell said he wouldn't give out permits... what a @ss hole.
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DEP Chief LIES about NJ bear pop. Axes hunt!
