New Mexico Trapping Ban Overturned

There’s great news for trappers in New Mexico today.  The New Mexico State Game Commission unanimously voted to overturn a ban placed on trapping in the Gray Wolf Recovery Area by Governor Bill Richardson last year.

We reported on the trapping ban a year ago, and noted that a study was underway to determine whether trapping in New Mexico had an impact on the wolf population.  While that study has been completed, results have not yet been released to the public.  The New Mexico Game and Fish Department had the chance to review the study, and Game and Fish officials recommended that the trapping ban be lifted, presumably based on those results.

Trappers shouldn’t be surprised to see the ban lifted as a result of the study, considering that trapping is used to safely catch and transport wolves in recovery efforts throughout North America.  However, we’re all used to regulation decisions being based on politics.  This time around, both the science and politics were in favor of trappers in New Mexico.  A new governor, elected during the 2010 political swing, had a different view on the trapping issue than did Gov. Richardson.

The animal rights groups are up in arms about the decision, which they had hoped would go the other way, and provide momentum for a statewide trapping ban in New Mexico.  Even the AP article by Susan Bryan seemed to be very biased toward animal rights groups.  She referred to the animal rights extremist groups as the “conservationists”.  Anyone with experience in trapping and wildlife management knows that trappers and wildlife biologists are the real conservationists, as they work to maintain wildlife populations in a healthy balance with humans and nature.  A more fitting term to describe the opponents of the decision would be “activists”.

Trappers and wildlife managers have won a victory this time around, and the threat to legal trapping in New Mexico will have to wait.

Trapping Threatened Again in New Mexico

Last summer, we covered a story about New Mexico governor Bill Richardson banning trapping in New Mexico’s Gray Wolf Recovery Area.

Then, we noted in November that research was underway to determine the affect of trapping on wolves.  Results of that research don’t seem to have surfaced yet,  but with a new governor and legislature in the state, Richardson’s ruling could potentially be overturned.

But now we hear that “conservation” groups want to ban trapping on ALL public lands in New Mexico.

Conservation groups want wildlife officials to ban all recreational and commercial trapping on public lands in New Mexico.

The request was made this week despite a recent recommendation that game commissioners reconsider a temporary trapping ban in place in southwestern New Mexico where Mexican gray wolves have been reintroduced. The suggestion came from a small business task force appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez.

Read the full story here.

You can also find coverage of the story from the Trapper and Predator Caller blog.

Massachusetts Legislature May Ease Animal Damage Permitting Process

This fall, we covered a story about the Massachusetts legislature attempting to ease the red tape associated with trapping permits issued for animal damage control.  That bill appears to have stalled in the legislature, but Sen. Stanley Rosenberg is making an effort to move things forward again.

The legislation concerning the issuance and appeals process for landowners to obtain limited permits to trap beavers, muskrats and other “furbearing mammals” that pose a human risk to drinking water supplies has been batted back and forth between the governor, House and Senate.

In an effort to break a stalemate over a bill governing permits for beaver and other wildlife trapping, the state Senate passed a measure Tuesday attempting to collect more information about the number of permits issued each year at the local level and the impediments to obtaining those permits.

Hopefully with better data collection, the state will realize that there is a huge problem with people being denied permits from the Health Department, and legislation will be passed to ease the process.

Read the story here.

Coyotes Kill Twenty-two Pets in Washington Town

Coyotes have been blamed for the death of 22 pets in a Washington neighborhood, according to the local news.

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Coyotes have killed so many pets — seven dogs and 15 cats, by one resident’s count — that people who live in the Oakbrook neighborhood of Lakewood have hired a trapper to get rid of the predators.

The state of Washington banned recreational and fur trapping via ballot initiative back in 2000, and residents have been suffering with increased rates of animal damage ever since.

Coyotes are so plentiful in the state that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife agents won’t deal with them unless they threaten people.”I’m afraid it just a matter of time; they’re going to go after children,” Hickey said.What worries the neighbors is that the coyotes appear to have lost their fear of humans and are showing up during the day.

Read the full story here.

Click Here to read a 2001 article describing the fallout after the trap ban.

Research Underway in New Mexico Trapping Ban Area

A while back, I reported on a trapping ban instituted by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in the state’s gray wolf recovery area.  The ban was placed and extended with the a stipulation that a study would be performed to evaluate trapping’s potential impacts to wolves.

That study is now underway, with research being conducted by the University of New Mexico.

Most trappers and wildlife researchers should already be aware that impacts due to trapping are minimal, especially given the fact that professional biologists use the foothold trap to capture and release wolves for research purposes and introduction into new areas.

If the study is done in an unbiased manner and results are interpreted correctly, I suspect it will show that most current trapping methods would have no impacts to the wolf population.

Massachusetts Works to Amend Trap Ban

Animal rights groups are “all up in a tizzy” over the recent work of the Massachusetts legislature to make a minor change to the ballot initiative passed by voters over a decade ago that banned trapping in the state.  Based on the rhetoric, you’d think the legislature were trying to overturn the ban and re-instate legalized trapping in the state.  If only.

The change would simply make it easier for landowners with animal damage problems to jump through the hoops placed on them by their local health department.  Here’s some of the bill language:

If no response is provided by the municipal board of health within 10 calendar days or the application is denied, the applicant or his duly authorized agent may transfer the application for the emergency permit to the director.  If the director determines that such a threat exists, it shall immediately issue the emergency permit to alleviate the existing threat to human health and safety, for a period not exceeding 10 days.

If said threat to human health and safety has not been alleviated within said ten days, the applicant or his duly authorized agent shall apply to the granting authority for an extension permit to continue the use of alleviation techniques, specified in this section, for a period not exceeding 30 days. If the granting authority determines that such a threat to human health or safety exists, as defined in this section, the authority shall immediately issue an extension permit.

Essentially, the changes give the landowner a bit more leverage when trying to get a permit from the government to deal with animal damage (mostly beaver) problems.

I don’t have the original bill language, but I believe the original version (described in Marc Folco’s column) was watered down quite a bit after going through multiple readings and being sent back from liberal governor Devall Patrick’s desk with amendments.

Even though I and many others would love to see the trap ban reversed in Massachusetts, this bill seems like a common sense patch to help those dealing with animal damage problems get through the red tape caused by excess government regulation.

Read the full text of the bill here.

New Mexico Governor Bans Trapping in Wolf Recovery Area

Amidst a slew of propaganda from animal rights activists and members of the media, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson ordered the New Mexico Game and Fish Department to impose a six month ban on trapping in the area along the New Mexico-Arizona border where gray wolves were introduced beginning in 1998.

The ban halts trapping in the area until a study can be completed to evaluate the impacts of traps on wolves.  It’s assumed that after the study, the Game and Fish Department will impose new restrictions on trapping to minimize potential impacts on the wolves, if trapping is allowed to resume at all.  Just how they are going to carry out this study without actually ‘hurting’ more wolves is beyond me.

The New Mexico trapping ban is just the latest in a long line of recent trapping bans and restrictions all across the country, aiming to ‘reduce impacts’ on ‘endangered species’, many of which have been introduced by the government that’s restricting trapping to protect them.

Another interesting observation is the fact that trapping of all types is being banned in the area, not just trapping activities that could impact wolves.  For instance, under the executive order it will be illegal to trap with underwater sets for muskrats, or to use live cage traps for bobcat.

It should be interesting to see how the New Mexico trapping ban plays out, especially since the state will have a new governor after the upcoming elections.  We’ll be sure to keep you posted on any new developments.

Click here to read Richardson’s executive order

Here are a couple of related news stories:

Richardson orders temporary wolf-trapping ban

NM governor suspends trapping in wolf area

Here’s a map of the recovery area where the trapping ban will be enacted:

Thanks From MEWM

Here’s a message from Montanans for Effective Wildlife Management, the group that successfully fought off the effort to ban trapping in Montana:

I 160, the anti trapping ballot initiative, failed to qualify for the November 2010 ballot.

The MEWM Steering Committee, Pac/West, the hundreds of organizations, businesses and individuals who contributed monetarily, as well as the many individuals who have actively dispelled the inaccurate statements through press releases, letters to the editor and personal appearances—you deserve thanks and praise.  It was through your donations and efforts that a sufficient number of signatures to qualify I 160 were not obtained.

How close was it? There were 34,586 signatures turned in statewide at the county level, but only 20,318 were accepted and sent to the Secretary of State.  The proponents of I 160 failed in their voluntary efforts and began paying signature gatherers; according to their financial data filed to date, signature gatherers were paid a little over $12,000.00 in this campaign.

We will be obtaining information as to which legislative districts qualified the initiative and how many signatures were gathered in each legislative district. We will then know where to direct our efforts in the future.

The battle is not over, as Connie Poten (Footloose Montana) said, “If we didn’t make it, it’s just practice because we’ll be doing it again”. Any funds left over from the campaign, as well as additional monies will be put into efforts to seek a legislative solution to end or slow down the management of Montana’s wildlife through the ballot initiative process.  A skirmish has been won, now we move to the legislative battlefield.

Once again – Thank You

Montana Trap Ban Will Not Make Ballot

The initiative that could have ended trapping as we know it in the state of Montana will not be on the ballot this November.  With the deadline past for supporters of I-160, the effort to ban trapping on public lands in Montana, to gather enough signatures to put the question to the voters in November, signature numbers have fallen short.

Although the animal rights groups came very close to gathering the number of signatures needed to qualify the question for the ballot (20,318 of a needed 24,337), the shortfall signifies that there isn’t enough support (yet) for a ban on traditional trapping practices in the state.

Trappers dodged a bullet this time around, with Montanans for Effective Wildlife Management leading the charge to educate the public on why the trap ban would be a terrible idea.  Coming this close to getting the needed signatures, however, means that these groups will most certainly be back, and hopefully Montanans will be ready to fight them off again.

Trapping in Montana is a time honored tradition and a well-regulated wildlife management tool in the state even today.  The trap ban would have hindered the ability of Montanans to manage wildlife populations, control predator numbers and prevent animal damage.

A Message from MEWM on the Montana Trap Ban Effort

Here’s an update from Montanans for Effective Wildlife Management, the group formed to fight the proposed ballot initiative (I-160) that would ban trapping on all public land in Montana.  The initiative supporters still need to collect a large number of signatures for the question to show up on the ballot, but MEWM is being proactive in an effort to get the early word out on I-160 and the impacts it would have on Montanans and others.

MEWM Needs Your Help

As you may have heard, trapping on public land is under attack by animal rights activists.

Montanans for Effective Wildlife Management would like your help in defeating Initiative 160.

We would like to invite you, as a Montana Trappers Association member, to join us in our efforts.  We are eager to get the word out to all Montanans.

Initiative 160 will impact the ability to control pests and wildlife on all publicly owned land and facilities in Montana. It is an overly broad initiative with far reaching consequences; it will impact livestock ranchers, farmers, timber growers, home owners, pest control professionals and all those who depend on smart wildlife management methods.

MEWM hopes you will join us in our efforts to defeat I-160. Also, please spread the word by forwarding this email to family, friends, co-workers and others who might be interested in joining our efforts to defeat this overbearing initiative.  Our goal is to build a broad base of Montanans who oppose such a heavy-handed, intrusive, initiative. For additional information regarding I-160 you can go to our web site, www.NoOn160.com. Keep an eye out for future newsletters full of useful information and events taking place in a town near you.
Why I-160 is a bad idea…

• This initiative will hurt Montana’s agriculture, ranching and forestry industries by significantly adding to the cost of doing business in Montana.
• I-160 removes an important wildlife management tool from home owners, ranchers, farmers and pest control professionals.
• This initiative will require public employees to conduct all pest control on public land, forcing the state to spend thousands of taxpayer dollars to conduct basic pest control.
• The initiative is so broadly worded, that it would ban the trapping of common pests, like moles and gophers.

Remember…
Initiative 160 would harm Montana’s environment and economy.

Trapping is an effective and
trusted wildlife management tool.

I-160 does more harm than good to Montanans.

Initiative 160 will waste taxpayer dollars.

What you can do…

Do not sign a petition on this  initiative; it is bad for the economy and bad for Montanans.

Talk with family, friends and neighbors and ask them to oppose I-160.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper.

Visit www.NoOn160.com for additional information.