FishRook
The New Jersey Fish and Game Council voted to reopen the state’s bear hunt this December. Following a rampant increase in human-bear conflicts, Governor Phil Murphy announced that he will rescind his 2018 executive order which banned bear hunting on state lands.
“I feel awful,” Governor Murphy said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. “But I can’t violate what are obvious facts that are potentially undermining public safety, particularly among kids. I just can’t in good conscience go on in this direction.”
The Fish and Game Council discussed the emergency rule decision at a meeting held Tuesday, November 15. On top of approving a new hunt, the Council agreed to reinstate the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Plan, which expired in 2020. In a press release from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), they explain that the emergency decision is necessary to protect public safety and support a healthy wildlife population.
“From the data we…
