Skip to main contentThe U.S. Department of Wildlife Services this month renewed its pledge to protect Oregon timber interests by trapping and killing black bears who might harm young trees on private forest land (see "Smokin' the Bear," WW, Feb. 12, 2003). In February, the agency sought public input on the policy, which accounts for about 120 bear deaths each year, but has elected not to test alternative solutions to the problem.
The move has drawn a torrent of criticism from conservation and animal-rights organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Humane Society, who see a number of non-lethal routes to resolving the conflict between Yogi and Ranger Smith.
"Bears generally don't claw trees in old-growth forests or uneven-aged forests," says Brian Vincent of the Animal Protection Institute.
"If timber companies would diversify their forest management practices in a few ways, there wouldn't be a problem. Right now, they're just creating rows of candy sticks for the bears."
Bear lovers have also suggested leaving piles of food as an alternative to tree bark, but Oregon Wildlife Services director David Williams is skeptical of such solutions.
"In this case, the preferred alternative is the existing program, which does involve lethal and non-lethal methods," he says.
Animal advocates aren't planning on simply accepting Wildlife Services' verdict on the issue. Lawyers Lori Cooper and Brenna Bell are planning to go to federal court this week and seek a temporary restraining order against Wildlife Services until the agency can prove that its policies aren't devastating the dwindling bear population. "What we're hoping is that the honest interpretation of the facts will show that this practice isn't cost-effective or beneficial, and that the public isn't going to stand for it," says Cooper.
WWeek 2015