Ballot Box "Science" May (again) be used to Manage Oregon's Wildlife

by Rudolph Rosen

Animal protection industry activists don’t like trapping of any kind. Traditionally, however, they have had problems when trapping is administered by the state in efforts to scientifically manage wildlife populations.

So, these animal activists have come up with a scheme to strip Oregon wildlife officials of that authority.

They have filed the paperwork for a voter initiative to halt trapping in Oregon, which ultimately would take away from the state the ability to manage fur-bearing wildlife, according to Safari Club International. Of course, this ban is intended to do away with any kind of traditional trapping, like for profit or recreation.

This alone sparks controversy and differences of opinion.

The activists, though, will not have to answer any of the probing questions, or at least none posed by state wildlife authorities, because Oregon state law already has those experts muzzled under threat of personal liability.

What does this mean? Simple. The activists can say anything they want to say, and the state experts would face risk for responding, even if the allegations happen to be totally false.

If the voter initiative petition filed September 15^th passes constitutional muster and activists get a sufficient number of signatures on that petition, it will appear on the ballot November 7, 2000.

The ban would be complete, in that all commercial and recreational trapping as has been conducted for almost two centuries in Oregon would come to a halt.

This initiative is the latest move in a series of progressive steps by animal protection extremists to take management of Oregon’s fish and wildlife out of the hands of professional government biologists. A ballot measure passed in 1994 removed authority of state wildlife biologists to manage bear and cougar as necessary to address population management goals.

Even the provisions in the initiative for trapping in emergency situations carry hidden pitfalls. Consider this: The director of the 1,200-person fish and wildlife department would have to investigate and make a decision, "in consultation with the Oregon Department of Human Services or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services" on the trapping of each and every skunk, raccoon, squirrel or other critter posing a threat to the health and safety of people. Should anyone disagree with the decision by the state, say an animal protection extremist, then it could be a trip to court for the director – for each and every animal.

Oregonians spend a great deal of time in the outdoors and have a rich tradition of enjoying the state’s wildlife, and that includes hunting, fishing and trapping. Thus when well-meaning people go to the polls they can be mislead by a ballot measure that purports to do something good for individual animals, even though it can be harmful to the rural traditional use of wildlife by Oregonians, Oregon’s system of administration of wildlife regulations, and the effective biological management of species.

The ballot box is not the place to conduct scientific management of any species.

Dr. Rudolph Rosen is Executive Director of Safari Club International and former Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Safari Club International, with more than 33,000 members in 85 countries, is a charitable organization that promotes wildlife conservation and education, hunting as a wildlife management tool, services for people in need, and advocates on behalf of hunters for the preservation of hunting traditions worldwide.

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