NEW JERSEY – Former Senator Torricelli and Animal Protection League of NJ want NJ bear hunt to end.
Press Released Issued:
December 14, 2020
Contact: Doris Lin, Esq. 732-616-8855
Bear Advocates File Lawsuit – Fish and Game Council Exceeded its Authority
Senator Robert Torricelli and other bear advocates filed a lawsuit in the New Jersey Appellate Division on December 10, 2020 appealing a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) decision that allowed the 2020 bear hunt to take place. The decision goes against its own regulations and allowed the Fish and Game Council (“Council”) to exceed its authority. The plaintiffs are former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, Animal Protection League of New Jersey, Angela Metler (executive director of APLNJ), League of Humane Voters of New Jersey, and Susan Russell (co-director and wildlife policy director for LOHVNJ).
Plaintiffs filed a rulemaking petition under the New Jersey Administrative Procedure Act in July, 2020, asking NJDEP to repeal the regulations allowing the bear hunt, including the comprehensive black bear management policy. The NJDEP denied the petition based on a false determination that the petition should have been submitted to the Council, despite state regulations that say rulemaking petitions should be submitted to the NJDEP.
Senator Torricelli stated, “We see this pattern of the Fish and Game Council exceeding its authority and trying to make decisions that should be made by the NJDEP Commissioner. It is illegal and unfortunately it means that this cruel bear hunt is being allowed to take place.”
The shotgun segment of the New Jersey black bear hunt took place last week and was scheduled to end on Saturday, December 12, but the hunt will be extended four more days if fewer than 20% of the tagged bear population were not killed by December 12.
