Timing is everything, and within hours of posting this article, important news broke. The US Fish & Wildlife Service order removing gray wolves from Endangered Species Act listing was “vacated” by US District Judge Jeffrey S. White, meaning that gray wolves impacted by the de-listing are again federally protected and states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota are no longer able to manage them. Read Judge White’s decision.
“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my” is a line from the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man are walking through the dark woods and hear noises. They link arms and chant the phrase as a way to ward off danger, as they continue their journey to meet the wizard.
This past couple of weeks has seen a figurative linking of arms among various Michigan state legislators, local officials and a state agency as they confront the “dangers” posed by deer, wolves and bobcats. Instead of marching through the woods, they are proposing resolutions and filing reports.
Readers of this post are no doubt familiar with what we call the “War on Wildlife”, particularly involving urban deer and wolves. We now may have to add bobcats to the list, as discussed below.
Developments so far this month:
- The Ann Arbor deer cull was back in the news as City Council contemplates the next budget. The annual killing was started in 2016 and continued into 2020, year 5 of what was billed as a 4 year program. It was paused in 2021 and 2022, due to budgetary constraints, but also due to effective and persistent push-back from residents. It was nudged back onto the Council’s agenda with a resolution, supported by 3 councilmembers, to have the city administrator to include “budgetary trade-offs involved in resuming funding for the deer management program” in the 2022-23 budget. That motion was defeated by a 6-5 vote. However, funding for deer management, including a cull, can be put back on the table this spring when council reviews a proposed budget. More information about the vote is here. Attorneys for Animals submitted a letter in opposition here, joined by some of our Ann Arbor members and supporters. View the letter below.
- Wolves continue to be in the cross-hairs of many in the Michigan legislature. There are 3 virtually identical resolutions, all calling upon the DNR and NRC to authorize a wolf hunt now. Two have passed, one likely will pass soon. We have pointed out that the proponents of these resolutions are not interested in waiting until the science is updated by the DNR (scheduled for next month) while insisting they are following science. They also rely on the existing Wolf Management Plan from 2015 as the basis for the NRC to act. However, the 2015 Plan, which is being updated now, does not call for a wolf hunt. Just this month, the 3rd resolution, HR 219 was introduced (Feb. 1) and adopted (Feb. 8), with the rules suspended and no committee hearing. SCR 7 was also adopted Feb. 8. Both were by voice vote so constituents are unable to determine how their state representative voted. Rep. William Sowerby spoke on the House floor in opposition. It’s worth watching.
- Bobcats are the new target. The Natural Resources Commission is considering a DNR recommendation at today’s (Feb. 10, 2022) meeting. The DNR is proposing an expansion of bobcat hunting and trapping in the Lower Peninsula by lengthening the season and increasing the number of counties where a “kill tag” can be issued. Trapping would be expanded everywhere it is already permitted. Hunting and trapping would be permitted in nine mid-Michigan counties where it currently is prohibited. This is in response to hunter/trapper demands. Attorneys for Animals submitted a comment in opposition. We argue that the population of bobcats is not known and therefore the DNR’s proposal is not based on sound science. We also object to the narrow category of “stakeholders” who were consulted in developing this proposal. Finally, we give an example of what happened in another mid-western state when all stakeholders were consulted. Read our Comment here. View the Comment below.
