Trump Administration Plans To Reinstate Bear Hunting Tactics On Federal Land

As has been anticipated, the Trump administration plans to roll back previous restrictions in place involving tactics to hunt bears and other predators on public lands, specifically the use of less restrictive bear baiting stations.

Here’s the latest from the Alaska Beacon:

The proposed rule would allow for state regulations to apply in national preserves, which are part of the National Park System. Sport and subsistence hunting, trapping and fishing are allowed in national preserves in Alaska, under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, or ANILCA.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game allows hunters to use bait to hunt bears in certain places and at certain times of the year. Baiting is the practice of setting up stations with food to attract bears so they can be targeted for hunting.

In a statement, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the proposed rule will restore the state’s previously established authority to manage sport hunting and trapping in Alaska’s national preserves.

“For decades, Alaska’s national preserves were managed under a framework that respected the State’s authority, protected subsistence uses and ensured conservation of wildlife resources,” Burgum said in the statement. “This proposed rule restores that balance. It reduces unnecessary federal overreach, aligns federal regulations with state law, and honors the commitments Congress made in ANILCA.”

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which has allowed the use of bear baiting on certain land and circumstances in Alaska, seems onboard with this latest federal decision.

“It is refreshing to see a federal agency recognize the State’s role as the primary manager of fish and wildlife within its borders and affirm the importance that federal actions not undermine that foundational responsibility,” said ADFG commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang in a statement. “These changes support the cultural heritage and long-standing traditions of Alaskans who use these lands to fulfill their subsistence needs and continue to pass down a way of life to future generations of Alaskans.”

Not everyone is thrilled with the decision. The Center for Biological Diversity, which has been staunchly opposed to lifting these restrictions following the change in the White House, was clearly not happy with the Department of the Interior’s latest move.

“This proposal shows the Trump administration’s shameful disregard for Alaska’s wildlife in the very places meant to protect these animals,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Bear-baiting and same-day airborne hunting are unsporting and immoral practices that don’t belong in our national parklands. Trump’s rule puts the whims of Safari Club trophy hunters ahead of the animals who play critical roles in healthy Alaska ecosystems and people who travel from far away to see these creatures thriving in their wild homes.”