Alaska reached a new low with last month’s brown bear massacre at the Mulchatna caribou calving area. I’ve lived in Alaska for over 35 years and thought I’d seen it all when it came to the state’s war on wolves and bears. I’ve watched the Board of Game and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game continually amp up their killing of bears and wolves, showing little to no concern for wildlife diversity or ecological balance; ignoring scientific evidence that shows predator control doesn’t work; thumbing their noses at anyone who suggests wildlife viewing (think tourism) is a valid “use” of our spectacular wildlife; and dismissing their constitutional directive to manage wildlife for all Alaskans, not just their select group of trappers, hunters, trophy guides and taxidermists. But the slaughter of nearly 100 brown bears, including sows with cubs, in just three weeks in May, is by far the worst travesty they have committed. I urge Alaskans to stand up and say, once and for all, enough. The state must end predator control now.
— Marybeth Holleman
Anchorage
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