IL to add wolves, lions, bears to hunting laws
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:48 pm
from the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagr ... e_for.html
Switchboard--NRDC's staff blog
Nick Magrisso's Blog <http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagrisso/>
Illinois Lawmakers Prepare for Black Bears, Wolves, and Mountain Lions
to Make Their Return to the Prairie State
<http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagr ... e_for.html#>
Nick Magrisso
Posted March 25, 2014
/The following is a guest blog by NRDC wildlife attorney, Rebecca Riley:/
Illinois is seeing an amazing wildlife resurgence, with wolves, black
bears, and mountains lions returning to our state after a decades-long
absence. The trouble is, because these predators have been gone for so
long, we don't have rules in place to protect them.
Today, the Illinois Senate Agriculture Committee took an important step
towards correcting that problem by voting 6-0* in favor of a bill to add
wolves, black bears, and mountain lions to the Illinois Wildlife Code.
NRDC has been working with the Department of Natural Resources, Senator
Linda Holmes, and other conservation groups to pass this bill in order
to protect native predators as they return to their historic habitat.
None of these animals have established a population in the state, but
that could be just around the corner, especially if we put protections
in place. Gray wolves were almost extinct in the lower-48 states forty
years ago, but now almost 4,000 wolves live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Michigan <http://www.fws.gov/midwest/WolF/aboutwo ... wi_nos.htm>
thanks to federal protections. These wolves have ventured south of the
Wisconsin border into northwestern Illinois on several occasions, and
are likely to continue doing so as they expand their territory. Black
bear populations are well-established in Wisconsin and Missouri, and
Illinois residents have spotted at least two bears here since 2000
<http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012 ... ves-travel>.
Mountain lions have healthy populations in South Dakota, and male
mountain lions often migrate to other states, including Illinois, in
search of unclaimed territory.
Under current Illinois law, wolves, black bears, and mountain lions are
completely unprotected. That means, anyone can shoot these animals at
any time, no questions asked. And in fact, that's exactly what happened
last fall when a mountain lion journeyed from the Black Hills of South
Dakota to Illinois, most likely in search of a mate. The animal caused
no apparent trouble on its trek, but when it got to Illinois, a farmer
contacted the authorities who shot and killed the big cat
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 5757.story>.
And it's not the first time this has happened. Since 2002, we have
killed four cougars in Illinois.
Senate Bill 3049, if enacted, would put a stop to this free-for-all, by
listing these native predators under the state's Wildlife Code. Almost
every mammal in the state, including predators like bobcats and coyotes,
is already regulated under the Wildlife Code. Adding wolves, black
bears, and mountain lions now that they are coming back to Illinois is
just common sense. Under the proposed law passed today, , citizens will
be able to protect themselves in the rare instance that an animal causes
trouble either to them or their property, but they will not be able to
shoot these animals for no reason. Today's committee vote was the first
step in making this common-sense solution the law and protecting these
native predators as they attempt to return to their former range.
As the Chicago Tribune said in their editorial this past fall: "Wild
animals roam this state. Always have and, we hope, always will. As we
urged here in 2008: The same Illinois that was unprepared for the last
cougar had better get ready for the next. He's probably en route."
<http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013 ... re-cougars>
* two "present" votes.
/Cougar in Wildlife Prairie Park /image by Dan Dzurisin via Flickr
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndomer73/2 ... mf-dpcL54/>
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagr ... e_for.html
Switchboard--NRDC's staff blog
Nick Magrisso's Blog <http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagrisso/>
Illinois Lawmakers Prepare for Black Bears, Wolves, and Mountain Lions
to Make Their Return to the Prairie State
<http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/nmagr ... e_for.html#>
Nick Magrisso
Posted March 25, 2014
/The following is a guest blog by NRDC wildlife attorney, Rebecca Riley:/
Illinois is seeing an amazing wildlife resurgence, with wolves, black
bears, and mountains lions returning to our state after a decades-long
absence. The trouble is, because these predators have been gone for so
long, we don't have rules in place to protect them.
Today, the Illinois Senate Agriculture Committee took an important step
towards correcting that problem by voting 6-0* in favor of a bill to add
wolves, black bears, and mountain lions to the Illinois Wildlife Code.
NRDC has been working with the Department of Natural Resources, Senator
Linda Holmes, and other conservation groups to pass this bill in order
to protect native predators as they return to their historic habitat.
None of these animals have established a population in the state, but
that could be just around the corner, especially if we put protections
in place. Gray wolves were almost extinct in the lower-48 states forty
years ago, but now almost 4,000 wolves live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Michigan <http://www.fws.gov/midwest/WolF/aboutwo ... wi_nos.htm>
thanks to federal protections. These wolves have ventured south of the
Wisconsin border into northwestern Illinois on several occasions, and
are likely to continue doing so as they expand their territory. Black
bear populations are well-established in Wisconsin and Missouri, and
Illinois residents have spotted at least two bears here since 2000
<http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012 ... ves-travel>.
Mountain lions have healthy populations in South Dakota, and male
mountain lions often migrate to other states, including Illinois, in
search of unclaimed territory.
Under current Illinois law, wolves, black bears, and mountain lions are
completely unprotected. That means, anyone can shoot these animals at
any time, no questions asked. And in fact, that's exactly what happened
last fall when a mountain lion journeyed from the Black Hills of South
Dakota to Illinois, most likely in search of a mate. The animal caused
no apparent trouble on its trek, but when it got to Illinois, a farmer
contacted the authorities who shot and killed the big cat
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 5757.story>.
And it's not the first time this has happened. Since 2002, we have
killed four cougars in Illinois.
Senate Bill 3049, if enacted, would put a stop to this free-for-all, by
listing these native predators under the state's Wildlife Code. Almost
every mammal in the state, including predators like bobcats and coyotes,
is already regulated under the Wildlife Code. Adding wolves, black
bears, and mountain lions now that they are coming back to Illinois is
just common sense. Under the proposed law passed today, , citizens will
be able to protect themselves in the rare instance that an animal causes
trouble either to them or their property, but they will not be able to
shoot these animals for no reason. Today's committee vote was the first
step in making this common-sense solution the law and protecting these
native predators as they attempt to return to their former range.
As the Chicago Tribune said in their editorial this past fall: "Wild
animals roam this state. Always have and, we hope, always will. As we
urged here in 2008: The same Illinois that was unprepared for the last
cougar had better get ready for the next. He's probably en route."
<http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013 ... re-cougars>
* two "present" votes.
/Cougar in Wildlife Prairie Park /image by Dan Dzurisin via Flickr
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndomer73/2 ... mf-dpcL54/>
