In 1996, a majority (64%) of Massachusetts citizens voted to restrict the use of certain traps on wildlife. The passage of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), popularly known as “Question One,” sparked a controversy over wildlife trapping in Massachusetts that continues today. The state’s Division of Wildlife and Fisheries (MassWildlife) claims that its "hands were tied" by the passage of this initiative, and wishes to see it overturned.
Animal protection and environmental advocates, including The HSUS, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), the Animal Protection Institute (API), and United Animal Nations (UAN), continue to assert that the traps that the WPA restricts inflict unacceptable pain and suffering on animals and that there are proven nonlethal approaches that are more lasting, environmentally responsible, and humane.
Human-Beaver Conflicts in Massachusetts: Assessing the Debate Over Question One, a report, prepared jointly by the above named organizations, addresses a number of questions raised during the long debate over the WPA and raises concerns over how MassWildlife has responded to the passage of this publicly supported mandate. It concludes that by failing to support modern techniques and approaches for wildlife conflict resolution, MassWildlife has severely hampered both its own and the public’s ability to manage conflicts with beaver.
To read the entire report, download the PDF.
