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Wyoming Governor Signs Legislation That Allows Trapped Grizzlies To Be Sent To California

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Published Date

February 18, 2019
Yellowstone grizzly bears/NPS

Wyoming Gov. Gordon has signed into law legislation that would allow the state to send any grizzly bears it traps to California./NPS

It's been almost a century since a grizzly bear was seen in California, but Wyoming is ready to ship some of theirs to the state that features a bear on its flag.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon on Friday signed nearly two dozen bills into law, including one that says there's a need to conduct a grizzly bear hunt in the state. While the state was ready to hold a grizzly bear hunt last fall for bears that wander out of the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem, in September a federal judge rejected the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to remove grizzlies in the ecosystem from protection under the Endangered Species Act.

That led the Wyoming Legislature, which cited the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- which "guarantees to the states and their people all powers not granted to the federal government elsewhere in the constitution" -- earlier this month to pass a measure authorizing the state's Game and Fish Commission to hold a hunt for the bears if it determines such a hunt "would be beneficial for managing Wyoming's wildlife and for protecting Wyoming workers and other citizens and tourists of the state..."

Tacked onto that measure as an amendment is permission for the Game and Fish Commission to send any grizzly bears it traps "to the state of California ... or to other willing states with suitable habitat."

No word yet if California is interested in grizzlies.

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Comments

Submitted by Terry Salvestro on February 19, 2019 - 3:15pm.

Heck no we dont want their grizzleys


Submitted by Northern California Resident on February 19, 2019 - 3:38pm.

 Mark Gordon would be doing CA a favor if he just shot the Grizzlies in Wyoming, if Wyoming can't get a hunting season approved for those things after they've become succesfully established there's no way in hell the liberals in CA will allow a hunting season for them. The only way I think it would be good for CA is if they released the grizzlies in downtown Los Angeles and San Diego!!!! And if they don't want them there then they shouldn't put them in any part of CA!!


Submitted by y_p_w on February 19, 2019 - 5:28pm.

Northern California Resident:

Mark Gordon would be doing CA a favor if he just shot the Grizzlies in Wyoming, if Wyoming can't get a hunting season approved for those things after they've become succesfully established there's no way in hell the liberals in CA will allow a hunting season for them. The only way I think it would be good for CA is if they released the grizzlies in downtown Los Angeles and San Diego!!!! And if they don't want them there then they shouldn't put them in any part of CA!!

This isn't really serious.  It's more snark than anything else from the part of the legislators in Wyoming.  I suppose they used California as the "destination" because they don't approve of the state's politics.  While this bill was circulating there was this piece on NPT, where the comments were eventually shut down for excessive argumentation.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2019/02/wyoming-senate-supports-re...


Submitted by GPC on February 19, 2019 - 6:15pm.

OBVIOUSLY, Mark Gordon is being a smart ass.


Submitted by ecbuck on February 19, 2019 - 6:30pm.

y_p_w - I don't understand why you are so convinced this is snark and not sincere?  People have long lamented the loss of grizzlies in CA and I am sure many would like them back if reintroduction could be successful.  http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/06/20/new-move-bring-back-grizzly-b...

 

 


Submitted by y_p_w on February 19, 2019 - 6:56pm.

ecbuck:

y_p_w - I don't understand why you are so convinced this is snark and not sincere?  People have long lamented the loss of grizzlies in CA and I am sure many would like them back if reintroduction could be successful.  

I have no problem if it's done with good intentions and done the right way.  Most reintroductions aren't of "problem" animals that have been killing livestock or raiding campgrounds.  We've got enough of black bears doing that in Yosemite, SEKI, and Lake Tahoe.

But the sponsor of this legislation has made it clear what his intent is.

https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/the_hole_scroll/article_b5251318-294f-5fa...

Partly in jest -- or not -- the California relocation stipulation was tacked onto a bill that calls for grizzly hunting, regardless of the species' protected "threatened" status under the Endangered Species Act. Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Albany/Carbon/Sweetwater, authored the amendment, explaining its purpose just before the Senate passed the bill's second reading.

"When a bear is repeat offender ... oftentimes those grizzly bears are euthanized," Hicks said on the senate floor. "What this amendment would do is allow the Game and Fish Department to relocate these bears to the state of California, if it was determined to be in the best interest of the state of Wyoming."

The language of the legislation specifically states the reasons (livestock depredation, property damage, danger to human life) why they would generally euthanize these animals, but that they should instead foist them upon the people of California.  You can't see the snark in this?


Submitted by y_p_w on February 19, 2019 - 6:58pm.

 

GPC:

OBVIOUSLY, Mark Gordon is being a smart ass.

Not Gordon, since he just signed a larger bill.  This amendment was tacked on by Larry Hicks.


Submitted by ecbuck on February 19, 2019 - 8:21pm.

No Y_p_k I can't see the snark.  Troublesome animals are frequently relocated.   And unfortunately, your link didn't work for me so I didin't see him clearly exposing his intent.

 


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