Bill Description:
H.J. Res 69 and S. J. Res 18 are resolutions filed under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a tool that allows Congress to repeal any federal regulations enacted in the final months of the previous administration. These resolutions target a rule (81 Fed. Reg. 52247) enacted in September, 2016 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aimed at protecting predators on Alaska’s national wildlife refuges, an area comprising more than 76 million acres. Specifically, H.J. Res 69 and S. J. Res 18 allow for Congressional disapproval of this rule and state that the rule “shall have no force or effect”.[teaserbreak]
Background:
Over the last 10-15 years, the state of Alaska has managed its wild predator populations through an extreme “predator control” policy, designed to keep predator species low and populations of game species high. This program is not only grossly unscientific—throwing fragile ecosystems off balance—it also authorizes the killing of predators using exceedingly cruel methods, including trapping, baiting, aerial gunning, and killing both mothers and young. In order to protect predators on public lands and keep Alaska’s ecosystems healthy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) enacted a rule prohibiting predator control on all national wildlife refuges across the state, unless it is based on sound conservation science and determined necessary to the meet the purpose of a specific refuge.
The rule also prohibits the following practices on all refuge land in Alaska:
• Trapping and snaring of brown bears and black bears
• Baiting of brown bears
• Killing of wolves, coyotes, and their pups during denning season
• Shooting mother bears and their cubs
• Using aircraft to either kill bears, or to track bears in order to kill them on the same day (this is already prohibited for wolves on Alaska’s national wildlife refuges).
Alaska is the only state that currently allows bears to be caught and killed for commercial and recreational purposes using cruel leghold traps and snares. Both steel-jaw leghold and snare traps are barbaric, cruel, and indiscriminate. When triggered, leghold traps slam shut with bone-crushing force on any victim unfortunate enough to encounter it, including endangered species and pets. Once caught, animals suffer immensely from injury, trauma, and stress, and ultimately die an excruciating death. Many even gnaw off their own limb in a desperate attempt to escape, often dying of a painful infection days later. Strangulation neck snares have been cited as the cruelest of all trapping devices. The snare is designed to tighten around an animal’s neck as she or he struggles. Animals trapped in neck snares may suffer for days, and their heads and necks are frequently swollen with thick and bloody lymph fluid, a condition called “jellyhead” by trappers. Death is often slow and painful.
Since it was enacted, the FWS rule has protected bears and other native Alaskan wildlife from these traps and other shockingly brutal practices on land that was specifically set aside to be a haven for wildlife. H.J. Res 69 and S.J. Res 18 would remove that protection, leaving no true refuge left for Alaska’s besieged predators.
Read a letter from Born Free USA and other groups asking members of Congress to oppose H.J. Res 69/S.J. Res 18.
Take Action:
Use this form to contact your U.S. representative and urge him or her to oppose this resolution!
Read the full text and follow its progress here in the House and here in the Senate.