PLEASE ASK YOUR SENATOR TO CO-SPONSOR THE LESNIAK BEAR SMART BILL, S2369
NBC New York spotted dozens of trash cans Monday morning in Allamuchy, Independence and Liberty Townships that were not ‘bear proof’ and in fact could be open with a pinkie finger. Many of them were not even closed because there was so much trash in them.
Likewise, a pizza restaurant in Liberty had an open dumpster overflowing with food packaging.
— NBC New York: “Christie Considers Cutting Bear Hunt Short.” December 7, 2010.
PRO-ACTIVE LEGISLATION – S2369
The awful sights – the limp, broken, and bloody bodies of cubs, mere babies, hauled in to the weigh station during the Christie Administration’s now annual bear “hunt” — or bait and shoot – haunt us all. The travesty is that the killing is utterly unnecessary.
Human-derived foods, be they unsecured trash or bait for bear and deer, condition bears to associate food with humans and lead to the very conflicts the state hunting agency claims baiting and hunting alleviate.
Bear Smart legislation corrects the state’s signal failure to organize, implement, and enforce non-lethal solutions preferred by 74% of New Jersey voters.
CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR TODAY! Your message is simple: Ask that your senator co-sponsor Senator Raymond Lesniak’s Bear Smart legislation (S2369) to require bear-resistant trash containers and disallow baiting in bear habitat. Remind the senator that 74% of New Jersey voters prefer non-lethal solutions.
BRING FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND NEIGHBORS INTO THE PROCESS. Asking one, two, or three other people who live in your legislative district to contact the senator has a multiplier effect.
CONTACT INFORMATION: To find and contact your senator, please go to New Jersey Legislature, or, if you know your ZIP Plus 4, you can locate your senator here: Project Vote Smart (enter your zip code in the white box under FIND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS). APLNJ will be glad to assist you in locating your senator. Write us at info@aplnj.org and be sure to include your full address.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Legislation introduced by Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20) incorporates the best science and the recommendations of leading experts.
New Jersey Bear Smart Legislation
- Requires campgrounds, closed communities and municipalities in bear habitat to institute and enforce meaningful bear-resistant trash bin and dumpster programs.
- Addresses intentional baiting of bear and deer that food-conditions bears and contributes to human-bear conflict.
Susan Russell – Wildlife Policy Specialist
Animal Protection League of NJ
Post Office Box 174
Englishtown, NJ 07726
Save Our NJ Bears 