Maryland Activists Present the Bear Facts to Governor Ehrlich

	©2004

Protesting what would be the state's first black bear hunt in more than 50 years, hundreds of Maryland citizens and out-of-state sympathizers gathered in Annapolis on Saturday, July 24, to tell Governor Robert Ehrlich that he should not allow hunting interests to guide wildlife management policies.

More than 200 protestors stood outside the governor's mansion, calling for Ehrlich to halt the hunt. Ehrlich, heavily endorsed by the National Rifle Association and the Maryland Sportsman's Association, has floated a proposal to kill 30 bears in western Maryland, ostensibly because the animals are killing livestock and creating other conflicts with humans.

(Incidentally, Maryland is not alone is using this argument to justify bear hunting; New Jersey trotted out the same lame excuse last year, and Maine often cites nuisance bears to justify its baiting and hounding tactics, practices that citizens hope to ban for trophy hunters.)

Maryland protestors, carrying signs and banners expressing their outrage over the October hunt, clearly felt the need to have their say since their elected officials couldn't save the bears. State legislators attempted to halt the hunt earlier this year, but the proposal failed to get out of committee. It failed by just one vote in the House Committee on Environmental Matters. So protestors took up the charge. They lined up along Bladen Street, just outside the mansion, chanting: "Governor Ehrlich take a stand, stop the hunt, yes you can!" Their actions inspired numerous motorists along the street to give the protestors a supportive thumbs-up.

The Source(s) of Frustration

The protestors' outrage is fueled by several sources, including Maryland's own Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The state agency estimates that the black bear population is somewhere between 266 to 437, but even agency officials admit they're unsure of the precise number. Still, that range of numbers represents a significant increase from the historic low number of 12 in 1956, but Maryland's black bears still face numerous threats: hunting in other states, low reproduction rates, and habitat fragmentation and loss.

That same agency, noted a member of the DNR advisory commission who attended the rally, is being unduly influenced by hunters who want to open a black bear season in Maryland. The same speaker accused the DNR of trumping up charges against the bears, saying that most of the conflicts between humans and bears are minor annoyances not worthy of resolving with guns. (More on that in a minute.)

"All of us must urge our friends and family throughout Maryland to write the governor expressing our outrage towards this proposal and demand that more compassion and decency be extended to the bears," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, who rallied the crowd near the historic Thurgood Marshall Memorial on State House Square. "Bears do not need the harassment of being chased by hunters armed with guns, and bows and arrows."

The proposed black bear hunting season, endorsed by Ehrlich, is "all about money, selfishness and the acquisition of trophies, and it is about intolerance," Pacelle added. In the final analysis, he noted, there is absolutely no justification for hunting black bears in Maryland. "There are only [about] 300 bears in the state. This species is so rare it should be considered an endangered species. It should not be set up for trophy hunting."

Vox Populi

Pacelle's was not the only passionate voice among the protestors. One Annapolis woman in the crowd told The HSUS that she believed humans should do everything they can to preserve wildlife and wildlife habitat, not destroy them. At the same time, she added, humans need to make provisions to keep bears out of neighborhoods, which creates mostly minor conflicts but fuels massive fears.

A husband and wife from Germantown were similarly outraged to think the hunt will proceed this fall. They questioned the extent to which bears are causing nuisance problems, noting philosophically, "It's their world too!"

Likewise, a mother and daughter from Westminster, Maryland felt strongly that people who live in and near bear habitat need to stop thinking of the animals as the enemy. They were quick to point out that bears, who possess measurable intelligence, naturally shy away from humans. For those bears who are brave enough to venture into unwelcome human territory—usually because of food—they must be taught to fear people again, which can typically be done with simple scare tactics. If all else fails, mother and daughter concluded, problem bears should be dealt with on an individual basis, not through a hunt.

Bears, Guns, and Money

All this talk of conflict and nuisance bears is really beside the point, noted Dr. Joseph Lamp, a member of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Advisory Commission. Appointed by former Governor Parris Glendening, Lamp serves on a governor-appointed, nine-member panel that was created to advise the secretary of the DNR on wildlife matters. Lamp reiterated that "the proposed hunt is motivated by people who want to shoot bears," noting that the hunting lobby is very vocal and is working hard to have the Maryland DNR open a black bear season.

However, Lamp added, "the DNR is lacking credible evidence to hunt bears in Maryland." The No. 1 bear-related complaint, Lamp noted, was bears getting into trash cans. That represents 39% of the total complaints logged by the DNR. Another 19% of "complaints" were simply reports of bear sightings, followed by bears getting into bird feeders. At the bottom of this list were complaints from farmers who encountered bear damage to their property.

Michael Markarian, president of The Fund for Animals, cut right to the chase: He told activists that the Maryland DNR is on a mission to let trophy hunters kill black bears. He noted that the state's 10-Year Management Plan was released prematurely without taking into consideration the comments submitted in opposition to the plan.

"Bear problems can be solved easily and humanely while compensating every farmer for all damage to their property," Markarian said. "Teach people how to take simple precautions to minimize human-bear conflicts."

To help compensate farmers whose property is damaged by bears, The HSUS and the Fund for Animals offered a $75,000 gift to cover those loses. But even in the face of a budget crisis, Governor Ehrlich and the Maryland DNR rejected the offer. The HSUS's Pacelle told the gathered crowd that the state rejected the gift because the black bear trophy hunt is a "political payback to the National Rifle Association and the hunting lobby."

What You Can Do?

Write Governor Ehrlich and express your disappointment in his decision to endorse the black bear hunt this fall. Tell him you will take your vacation dollars elsewhere until he puts an end to Maryland bear hunting.

Contact the governor at:

Office of the Governor
Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
State House
100 State Circle
Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1925
Phone: 410-974-3901
Fax: 410-974-3275
Toll-free phone: 1-800-811-8336
E-mail: governor@gov.state.md.us

Leslie Porter is an Administrative Assistant in The HSUS's Wildlife and Habitat Protection section; Julie Janovsky is a Senior State Legislative Specialist in The HSUS's Government Affairs section.

See the Video

Bear Baiting

Can't Bear It

Money and Myths

The Maryland Bear Hunt Debate

Related Links

Maryland Rejects $75,000 Offer to Cancel Bear Hunt