Before we get started … although few if any of us are hunters, WRCNU is not against responsible/manageable hunting, but we are against irresponsible reckless actions that do not help sustain or rebuild our natural ecosystems and natural wild habitats—actions meant only to pump up target animal populations for hunting at the expense of natural habitat and all other species in an ecosystem. We thought you might be interested in the following news clip from Fox News about the plan the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has to transplant Rocky Mountain goats, an exotic species, into the LaSal Mountains east of Moab. A large number of conservation groups opposed the plan, as did the U.S. Forest Service, but it was nonetheless approved by the Wildlife Board 4:2. Utah rehabbers constantly run up against injured, sick or orphaned wildlife we are not allowed to rehabilitate (Red Fox, Striped Skunk, Raccoons, etc.) and given the pat answer from DWR that, “they are either invasive, exotic, and/or a nuisance species” and yet here the DWR creates conditions for invasive/exotics without much thought other than the money that will be generated through hunting. It is our opinion that the “invasives” listed above are not allowed to be rehabilitated in Utah, because they naturally raid the nests of huntable birds (waterfowl and upland game birds) more than they are truly a nuisance or doing anything “unnatural’ that hasn’t been done for eons. Our partner organization, Western Wildlife Conservancy’s Executive Director Kirk Robinson states it very simply, “My concern is that hunting is being valued above ecological integrity and protection.” Utah has shown that it is a consumptive state and shows little thought in conservation measures that are both good for the human population or any of the wild ecosystems we attempt to maintain. The Utah DWR is “run by the state” but is truly operated as if it were a privately run organization (with some of our taxpayer money) doing the bidding of hunters without regard for true scientific ecosystem management or the desires/concerns of the state’s non-hunting population. Might be time to dismantle this group and rebuild a STATE agency that is truly in-line with today’s understanding of wildlife, habitat and sustainment for the purpose of healthy ecosystems which in the end … would also benefit those who wish to hunt. As it stands today, we’ve just agreed (through the state Wildlife Board) to start our own state run hunting preserve in the LaSal Mountains, so we can introduce an invasive/exotic species without research or study, so a limited number of Utahans (and nonresidents) can trophy hunt Mountain Goats. Sounds more like a plan built for our trophy hunting governor’s office and not with Utah’s best interests in mind.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 16:08:03 +0000
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