For Immediate release
September 6, 2023
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
Inhumane New Jersey Bear Hunt Unanimously Approved For 5 More Years
Today, the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife held a public hearing to approve a bear management plan that would continue bear hunts until 2028. Despite the hundreds of New Jerseyans who voiced their opposition to the hunt, the hearing decided to unanimously approve the policy.
The Sierra Club is extremely saddened and outraged to see the Fish and Wildlife extend the management plan and defy the public’s wishes. The NJ Chapter and other environmental advocates have all asked NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette to reject the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, and testified against the policy. We ardently oppose another meaningless bear hunt and instead urge the NJDEP to move forward with effective non-lethal bear management strategies.
“Today’s decision to extend the black bear hunt in New Jersey is a tragic example of ineffective wildlife management that directly defies the people’s wishes. New Jerseyans do not want this hunt,” said New Jersey Sierra Club Director Anjuli Ramos-Busot. “Instead, the state should be prioritizing non-lethal management tactics that protect our beloved bears, who are victims of New Jersey’s overdevelopment and conservation crisis. We are outraged that the Fish & Game Council has voted to extend the hunt for an additional five years, and are not committed to focusing on more humane alternatives to protect wildlife. We now ask Commissioner LaTourette to reject the policy.”
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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.