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Bear Baiting Issue
Paul Joslin / Co-Chair / Citizens United Against Bear Baiting
(907) 250 5944 / paul@cubb.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / October 12, 2004
The lead opponents of the voter
initiative to end bear baiting, Alaskans for Professional
Wildlife Management (APWM) do not want to talk about the
issue. They refuse to even mention "bear baiting" in their literature. Dumping
donuts, dog food, bacon grease and other smelly, human
associated leftovers in the woods as a way to attract bears
so they can be shot is unfair, unsporting and teaches bears
bad habits with the potential to become nuisance animals. "It
comes down to ethics and safety," says Hoonah hunting guide
John Erickson, a strong supporter of the ban on bear baiting. "Hunting
is a way of life, but hunting isn't just going out and
killing critters."
Not wanting to face up to what bear baiting is about, APWM
has resorted to a barrage of lies and deception in order
to sway voters against the initiative. The
public interest is not being served. Citizens United Against Bear Baiting
challenges the leaders of APWM to face off with us in an open debate where the
public can judge for themselves the merits of the issue.
Who is Alaskans for Professional Wildlife Management?
According to records filed with the Alaska Public Office Commission (APOC) the
chair of the group is Kurt Norby, current president of Safari Club International's
Alaska Chapter-a trophy hunting organization. The treasurer of APWM is
Eddie Glasser, a life time member of Safari Club International (SCI). Deputy
treasurer is Ron Maddox, past president of the SCI Alaska Chapter. APOC
records also reveal that APWM's second largest contributor is SCI, exceeded only
by Ballot Issues Coalition (BIC), a Virginia based political coalition that includes
SCI. The man spearheading APWM's campaign is Jerod Broadfoot, an Oregon
based SCI lobbyist. In the past six months APWM has paid his Oregon firm,
Pac/West Communications, more than $300,000!
Hidden Trophy Hunter Agenda
APWM's brochure boldly claims that the voter initiative, "Makes it illegal to
intentionally feed bears for the purpose of photography or viewing," implying
that this is something new. It's not. State law already forbids such
activities. What their brochure doesn't say is that the initiative would
prohibit intentional feeding of bears for purposes of hunting. Its use
would be limited to wildlife agencies.
APWM attempts to scare people by claiming the initiative, "Sends you to jail
for a year and fines you $10,000 dollars for each photograph you take." In
the Voter Information Pamphlet the distortion goes further by claiming that "Š a
person could be sent to jail and fined just for having a bird feeder in their
back yard that may attract a bear." Neither is true. The act of feeding
a bear has to be intentional, and the violation would be a Class A Misdemeanor,
which is the standard penalty that applies to most of Alaska's fish and game
laws. A typical sentence for a Class A Misdemeanor is a modest fine.
Alaskans for Professional Wildlife Management Exploits Alaskan Natives
APWM's latest flyer, mailed to over 150,000 voters, shows an Alaskan Native hunter
standing in a barren landscape in winter. Across the picture are the words, "Alaska's
heritage is at stake. Protect Alaska. Vote NO on ballot measure 3." The
photo is repeated on the back side of the flyer.
"Once again, big money groups are exploiting Native people to promote their
political agenda," responded Alaska Native Dune Lankard. "Trophy hunting
of bears over bait has nothing to do with living a Native subsistence lifestyle." Bear
baiting in Alaska was legalized by the Board of Game in 1982 under pressure from
the nearly all-white Alaska Bow Hunters Association that wanted an easier way
to shoot bears than fair chase stalking. Alaska Department of Fish and
Game records show that almost all those who take bears over bait are city dwellers,
military personnel living near urban areas, or non-resident hunters.
The Management of Bears Will Continue
The APWM brochure claims the initiative "Severely limits the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game's ability to manage game populations." The Voters Information
Pamphlet says it "will result in out of control predator populations." Both
statements are false. Hunting brown bears over bait is already illegal. Of
the estimated 100,000 plus black bears in Alaska only about half of one percent
are hunted over bait.
The opponents also claim that a ban on bear-baiting will prevent Alaska Fish
and Game officers from removing problem bears from neighborhoods. This
too is false. All wildlife management activities of ADF&G lie outside
the "methods and means" laws that are enacted to promote "fair chase" by sport
and subsistence hunters. Live trapping of bears, shooting brown bears over
bait, herding or harassing of wildlife, and utilizing helicopters to hunt are
examples of existing management practices already carried out by ADF&G that
the public is prohibited from using.
According to ADF&G, "Keeping bears away from human food is perhaps
the most important thing we can do to prevent conflicts and confrontations between
bears and people."
Greenpeace and PETA Not Involved
In the Voter Information Pamphlet opponents state, "This initiative is being
proposed by out-of-state extremists like Greenpeace and P.E.T.A. Š" The
APWM brochure shows pictures of Greenpeace and PETA demonstrations. Neither
of these two organizations has anything to do with this voter initiative. The
Greenpeace banner is a fraud. The word "Greenpeace" has been digitized
on to the banner by means of computer manipulation. The PETA demonstration
looks like it was photographed in New York or Chicago-certainly not in Alaska-in
about the 1960's.
Citizens United Against Bear Baiting (www.cubb.org)
Ballot Measure 3 was initiated by Citizens United Against Bear Baiting, an entirely
Alaskan grassroots organization. It is headed by former Lt. Gov. Lowell
Thomas Jr., along with sport hunters and guides, Alaska Natives, former Board
of Game members, biologists, bear viewing interpreters, professional photographers,
wildlife enthusiasts, and other concerned citizens who want to see Alaska's bears
kept wild. Its mission is supported by more the than 30,000 Alaskan voters
that put this initiative on the ballot.
We Challenge the Opponents to a Public Debate
The initiative should not be decided by high priced deceitful ads produced by
Outsiders that lie and distort in order to influence votes. Alaskans need
to hear from both sides in an open and fair way. Citizens United Against
Bear Baiting challenges Jerod Broadfoot and the other Safari Club International
leaders of APWM to face off in a televised public forum debate right here in
Anchorage, Alaska. The Loussac Library's Wilda Marston Theater is available
from 7 to 9 pm on the evening of Thursday, October 21st.
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