It’s time to speak for Chugach State Park’s bears: No new hunts

Here’s a really bad idea: more black bear hunts in Chugach State Park.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Chugach Superintendent Kurt Hensel believes so too. When he learned that the Board of Game was considering proposals to open new black bear hunts in Anchorage’s backyard wilderness, Hensel did some research. He found some 80% of the park is already open to such hunts.

In Hensel’s words, “I’m convinced there’s absolutely no reason to open new hunts. In my view they’re in direct conflict with park purposes. I’m trying to represent the park, and the park has nothing to gain from them; it would be a no-win situation.”

That in itself should have been enough reason to reject the new hunts, proposed by the Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee. The group’s stated rationale: to “provide additional black bear hunting opportunities in Unit 14C (which encompasses the park).”

To make matters worse, the proposed hunts would occur in two of the park’s most popular recreational areas, the Campbell Creek and McHugh Creek drainages, between Sept. 5 and May 31. Such hunts would inevitably create conflicts with recreational groups that have long histories in those valleys, particularly hikers, backpackers, wildlife watchers, mountain runners and possibly even skiers.

After lengthy and vigorous discussions, Chugach State Park’s citizens advisory board essentially agreed with Hensel’s reasoning. Board chair Rosa Meehan sent a letter to the game board, making it clear that advisory board members opposed the proposed hunts by substantial margins and explained the rationale for their opposition.

The letter also noted that advisory board decisions are guided by the five primary reasons Chugach State Park was established. Among those purposes: “to provide areas for the public display of wildlife.” There is nothing in those five purposes that mentions hunting (or trapping) opportunities. In other words, wildlife viewing should take precedence over the killing of animals that inhabit the park.

Given its record over the past couple of decades, it probably should come as no surprise that the game board chose to ignore the advisory board and park staff’s opposition, and voted to approve the bear hunts (albeit with some added restrictions).

The game board’s decision naturally upset Hensel and many members of the advisory board. Still, Hensel had one final card to play that would trump the decision: The newly approved hunts are in areas closed to the discharge of firearms, because of public safety concerns.

Furthermore, both the statute delegating management responsibilities within Chugach State Park and its management plan make it clear that when there are conflicts, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game “shall cooperate” with park managers.

In short, Hensel could simply refuse to issue any black bear hunting permits, whatever the game board decided. And if were up to him, that’s what he would do.

If only it were that simple. But of course politics has come into play.

Enter Ricky Gease, appointed the director of Alaska’s Division of State Parks by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. During the summer, Gease helped to arrange a closed-door meeting to seek some resolution to the conflicting priorities. Among the participants were Hensel, Gease, game board chair Ted Spraker, the state’s local wildlife manager Dave Battle, and Eddie Grasser, director of the state’s Division of Wildlife Conservation.

Besides the appeal for increased hunting opportunities, the men discussed other reasons for additional black bear hunts in Chugach State Park: that they would help to lower bear-human conflicts in Anchorage; and that they would somehow address the heartbreaking death of a teenage hill runner killed on Bird Ridge by a black bear in 2017 (no matter that Fish and Game staff killed three innocent black bears in the days immediately following that tragedy, before finally finding and killing the “suspect” animal they’d been seeking).

Ultimately, the group agreed neither of those additional arguments had any merit.

At that meeting, the participants reached a compromise “solution.” Instead of the two hunts with expansive seasons, Gease, Spraker and Grasser agreed to try a more restrictive, “experimental” hunt, to be conducted for one month (October) in the McHugh Creek drainage. Only a handful of permits would be issued for the hunt, which would open in 2020. The results of that limited hunt would determine whether it might be expanded in both the McHugh and Campbell Creek drainages.

Hensel was a notable dissenter. He has continued to oppose any new bear hunt because he’s convinced it’s not in the best interests of the park and doesn’t meet its reasons for being, especially with so much hunting opportunity already existing.

Gease made his pitch for the more restrictive hunt at the advisory board’s September meeting and ended with an appeal to consider approving it, either then at or a future meeting. He didn’t say whether he’d abide by the board’s decision.

It struck me as an odd — and, to be honest, maddening — thing, that Gease would take the game board’s position and lobby for the hunt, rather than support the park’s superintendent and the stance already taken by the advisory board. Their perspectives couldn’t be clearer: No to more black bear hunts.

To its credit, the advisory board decided to not to make any spur-of-the-moment decision about Gease’s proposed “compromise,” but rather invite public comment and discuss the issue yet again at its October meeting. (By postponing any vote beyond Oct. 1, it means the new hunt, if approved, wouldn’t occur until 2021, and Gease indicated he’s okay with that.)

I’m confident that the great majority of those who love and recreate in Chugach State Park will agree with superintendent Kurt Hensel and me (and, based on earlier votes, most advisory board members): Any new black bear hunt, no matter how restrictive, is the wrong way to go, for all of the reasons mentioned above, plus this one: the animals themselves.

With 80% or more of Chugach State Park already open to black bear hunts, can’t we leave some valleys and mountains where the bears are not hunted? Can’t we come down on the side of the animals for a change?

I encourage all of those who value Chugach State Park’s wildlife as living creatures to be voices for its black bears. Send comments to superintendent Kurt Hensel, advisory board chair Rosa Meehan and, for good measure, contact Ricky Gease. And consider attending the advisory board’s next meeting, 6 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Atwood Building downtown, 555 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 102. Come early and speak on behalf of the bears; or simply attend to show your support of them and the park’s wild values.

Anchorage nature writer Bill Sherwonit is the author of more than a dozen books, including “Chugach State Park: Alaska’s Backyard Wilderness."

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