Petition Campaign
February 2006
Dear folks (friends & associates),
Ontario government black bear mismanagement issue, update and plans:
What FoF is doing, why we are doing it
and how your efforts can help ensure this matter becomes an important
election issue.
As a resident voter living in bear country, most up-setting to me "bears
wise" is the wasted tax dollars supporting the costly, ineffective,
irrelevant and misdirected MNR/government approach toward dealing with
this serious black bear overpopulation matter. Rather than accepting the
responsibility for the 'government created crisis' and taking the
appropriate action to fix the problem, the Ontario government continues
to deflect the blame toward the people living here in bear country. Well
I for one have had enough government inaction and refuse to be their
scapegoat. Our government (all members including opposition) have caused
the problem and it is their duty to fix it; by simply using proven
wildlife management practices to reduce the numbers of black bears in
Northern Ontario.
FoF is proud to have joined the combined efforts of other individuals
and groups, including (in alphabetical order) COHA, IWMC, NOSA, NOTO,
OFAH, OFMF & many others who's untiring efforts brought about the recent
debate initiated by Nippising MPP Monique Smith. Her private members
motion as follows was debated at Queens Park and unanimously passed;
"That in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should do
whatever is necessary to protect the citizens of Ontario from nuisance
bears." It is very encouraging to read the debate and see the level of
support expressed
from the various speakers from both northern and southern Ontario. If
you have not read this yet, you will be encouraged when you do. OFAH has
the debate posted on their Website, simply click on this link and
download the file to your computer.
http://www.ofah.org/bear/debate.cfm
Ms Smiths motion captured the attention of all major provincial news
media (north & south) raising badly needed public awareness about the
bear issue. I think the lesson learned here; it is key to build on
debates as such as a means of educating all Ontario voters about the
critical ongoing bear
overpopulation situation.
To build on this idea and provide a simple
means to raise awareness FoF has started a 'petition campaign'.
This petition provides several good
reasons why Minister Ramsey should comply as requested to immediately;
(1.) Reinstate the spring bear hunt;
(2.) Protect black bears trying to return to their former range in
southern Ontario, through the natural migration process;
(3.) Develop ways and means to relocate bears from Northern Ontario to
areas where the habitat would support them, specifically areas
determined to be of suitable habit, formerly occupied by black bears in
southern Ontario. Discussions at Queens Park on requests # 2 & 3 will be
no doubt be of concern to southern Ontario voters (the political power
base used to cancel the hunt in 1999).
We encourage every resident voting member of every family to
participate. The email component is the most cost effective and takes
lease effort for the computer literate. (See email petition and
instructions.) For publicity purposes FoF would like to have a handle on
the number of emails that do in fact get sent, therefore rather than
filling our mailbox with the entire petition via cc a simple message
letting me know that you have sent the petition would work better. email
eldon@friends-of-fur.org
The hard copy component takes some effort yet is perhaps the most
effective and therefore worth doing. To make sure that the entire
government gets the message (opposition parties included). FoF is collecting signed
petitions c/w name and address of voters, the original will be sent to
David Ramsey
with photo copies to John Tory, Howard Hampton, and the local riding MPP.
Just provide us with the completed original and we will look after the
rest. Send to FoF, Box 13 Powassan Ontario, P0H 1Z0.
Hard copies can be obtained two ways.
1. Send me an email and I will send you the petition via pdf file,
copies can then be printed, completed and sent to FoF, Box 13 Powassan
Ontario, P0H 1Z0 for our action.
The petition
file is also available
HERE in pdf
format.
2. For hard copies, simply send us a note at FoF, Box 13 Powassan
Ontario, P0H 1Z0 requesting "X" number of copies and these will be mail
to the address provided. An optional small donation to help defray our
postage and handling costs would help out and certainly be much
appreciated. Note: Clubs and Council bulk request are welcome, we can
use all the help we can get.
It seems election time is about the only time any politician is willing
to listen to our concerns, that's when they need our coveted vote. The
next election is fast approaching and it up to the grass-roots voters to
make sure that our issues are known. Somehow we must make fixing this
serious wildlife mismanagement problem an election issue of high
priority. If we don't do it, who will?
Please help us wake our government up to this important issue, your
small part can and will make a big difference.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely.
Eldon Hawton
President
www.friends-of-fur.org
email;
eldon@friends-of-fur.org
Email component
instructions:
To participate, simply highlight and
enter YOUR name, signature, address, date, etc., in the appropriate
spaces at the bottom. Then make a separate email addressed to Ramsey and
Cc at least the following MPP's, John Tory, Howard Hampton and include
your local MPP. Subject line: Fix Bear Crisis Petition. Then copy and
paste the entire petition into it, press send.
Please copy this email to your contacts,
and ask them to do likewise, perhaps if we fill enough politician's mail
boxes, we will get the attention this matter deserves.
Every little bit helps; it certainly
won't do any harm.
Best regards,
Eldon.
David Ramsey
dramsey.mpp@liberal.ola.org
John Tory Conservative leader
john.tory@pc.ola.org
Howard Hampton leader NDP
hhampton-qp@ndp.on.ca
Note: Copy and paste the entire "Petition" portion into a
separate message addressed to the above along with your local MPP. Note
to find your local MPP,s email address click on this link. Then click on
your MPP's name.
http://olaap.ontla.on.ca/mpp /daCurRdg.do?locale=en&ord=LASTNAME#a
PS: Note: FoF will be collecting signed petitions at various events,
club/council meetings etc. including the famous "Trappers Reunion" to be
held at Iron Bridge Ontario, April 22nd 2006. The sponsors, Blind
River, Elliot Lake and Sault Ste Marie trappers councils, in conjunction
with the Iron Bridge Lions Club are featuring a special dinner (cost
$15.00 ticket) on the Saturday night. This event will also feature a Fur
Fashion Show by Lafrance Furs of Sudbury and fundraising events (Live
Auction etc.) with proceeds toward the costs of FoF's ongoing "Public
Awareness Campaign". This is the second Fundraiser and many thanks to
the Councils, the Lions, and all the sponsors donating articles to our
live auction, your support is very much appreciated. Anyone wishing to
donate items to this event, or get more information please get in touch
with myself or the organizing councils.
Copy/paste below this into your separate email:
Petition
Government must fix bear mismanagement crisis:
Ontario's Black bear overpopulation problem desperately needs
effective government action
"Whereas indicative of serious
overpopulation; growing numbers of black bears in Northern Ontario are
invading cottage areas, backyards, school yards, city/town streets,
landfill sites are now also full of overcrowded hungry bears. Northern
Ontario news media endlessly report stories of problem bears destroying
public property, attacking, mauling, injuring and tragically killing
humans; and "Whereas harvest levels are extremely low; other than
regulated hunting harvest (recorded estimate 5000 annually), road kills,
rail kills, and those killed to protect livestock and humans (unknown
number), bears in Ontario have virtually no other natural mortality.
Bears sleep (hibernate) throughout the barren winter months and seem
immune to the many diseases that control excess numbers of most other wildlife populations; and "Whereas
annual birthrate is extremely high and out-of-control; approx 30,000
sows of cub bearing age with an average birthrate of 2.4 cubs annually
with a 50% survival rate, suggests increased population amounts to
36,000 cubs; and "Whereas MNR bear population data is uncertain,
unrecorded mortality unknown; regulated hunting annual recorded
mortality is 5000 bears, less the unrecorded mortality (unknown number)
and the regulated harvest (5000) Ontario's bear population arguably
grows more or less than 25,000 cubs each year; and "Whereas too many
bears are killed/wasted and orphaned cub numbers rise; the 2 year old
"Bear Wise program" is ineffective, unscientific wildlife management,
addresses the symptoms rather than the problem, costs taxpayers
millions, promotes the indiscriminate killing/wasting of nuisance males,
females and the subsequent increased numbers of orphaned cubs; and
"Whereas there are too many bears and not enough food; MNR consistently
states, " The problems are related to food and that sort of thing," MNR
must then recognize that the carrying capacity (food supply) of the
northern Ontario bear habitat is grossly exceeded. Bears simply cannot
be endlessly stockpiled in Northern Ontario; and Whereas tons of food
supplied by Outfitters in spring helps keep bears in the bush; prior to
1999 licensed bear outfitters with BMAs (Bear Management Areas) provided
an important food supply (baiting stations) to thousands of
excess bears each spring, when other natural food sources are scarce,
reducing the number of bears forced to search urban areas for their
food.
Also gunshots associated with spring bear
harvest reinforced the fear of man in bears, thus reducing incidents of
human/bear conflict; and "Whereas increased hunting harvest provides
cost effective population control; Supportive scientific evidence, suggests the government
must consider the cost effective option and utilize the valuable
economic incentive provided by increased hunting opportunities (spring
hunt) to help fund and control bear overpopulation. Government must
assume responsibility and
take appropriate action to fix its bear mismanagement crisis in northern
Ontario; and "Whereas protecting bears to be ultimately shot and wasted
serves no meaningful purpose; many more bears are killed/wasted as
"problem bears" than the regulated harvest. Black bears once a valuable
big game resource generating social, wildlife management and economic
tourist benefits worth millions bears are now shamefully considered
'nuisance value' and an expensive taxpayer liability. Laws geared to
prevent over-harvest are therefore redundant, difficult to enforce, open
to abuse and lead to vigil-anti management solutions to bear problems
(shoot-shovel-shut-up); and "Whereas culls will add to current economic
waste of once valuable resource; the return of the spring bear hunt
alone will not fix this
seriously out of- control problem and the option of organized culls
means more indiscriminate killing and wasted bears; and "Whereas
infamous Government bounty eliminated southern Ontario bears; once a
common denizen of Southern Ontario the Government of Upper Canada
instituted a ten-dollar bounty on black bear in 1793 to 1796. In many
areas bears were relentlessly killed (hunted, trapped and poisoned)
until none were to be found in the major agricultural settlements of
Ontario; and "Whereas excess bears trying to naturally migrate south are
currently killed and wasted; bears trying to return to their former
range are either indiscriminately shot by police or MNR or are promptly
returned to the overcrowded territory they came from and ultimately shot
and wasted by government officials at a later date; and
"Whereas former natural bear habitat is currently wasted; today few
bears if any remain to occupy the former southern Ontario natural bear
habitat; typical to northern Ontario swampland, bush lots, vacant
pasture land and many landfill sites where waste food from: restaurants,
hospitals, nursing homes and households currently gets buried. These
sites could be used to feed excess bears now fighting for their survival
in the north; and "Whereas relocating bears to former habitat is sound
wildlife management practice; an important wildlife management practice
exists, to relocate bears to areas of formerly occupied habit, that
currently have few to no bears. Proven effective for other wildlife
(elk, wild turkeys etc), therefore must also be given due consideration;
"Now, therefore, be it resolved that _( Your Name here )_ petitions the
Honorable David Ramsay, Minister of Natural Resources, to immediately
move to reinstate the spring bear hunt; and further "The Minister move
to initiate and enforce laws geared to protect black bears trying to
return to their former range in southern Ontario, through the natural
migration process; and further "The Minister move to develop ways and
means to relocate bears from Northern Ontario to areas where the habitat
would support them, specifically areas determined to be of suitable
habit, formerly occupied by black bears in southern Ontario.
Note: As an Ontario resident voter I
deserve and expect my elected Government to immediately take action on
this extremely important and necessary request. Therefore I look forward
to your positive confirmation via return correspondence.
Signature: Your name or initials
Name: Your Name
Address: Your Address
Postal Code: yours
Date: today's
Mail/Fax to: Honorable David Ramsay,
Minister of Natural Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources
6630 - 99 Wellesley St W, 6th Flr, Whitney Block
Toronto ON M7A 1W3
Tel: 416-314-2301
Fax: 416-314-2216.
Copy to: John Tory Conservative leader
official opposition party,
Rm 381, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A8.
Tel: 416-325-0445,
Fax: 416-325-0491
Copy to: Howard Hampton leader NDP party,
Rm 114, Main Legislative Building,
Toronto ON M7A 1A4
Tel: 416-325-8300
Fax: 416-325-8222,
Copy to: MPP local riding
dramsay.mpp@liberal.ola.org
john.tory@pc.ola.org
hhampton-qp@ndp.on.ca
