AR-News: (US-MD) Cash-Strapped DNR Refuses $75,000

[Michael Markarian]

http://bayweekly.com/year04/issuexii18/dockxii18.html

Bay Weekly
April 29-May 5, 2004

Cash-Strapped DNR Refuses $75,000
Money offered to call off bear hunt

It’s not every day you turn down $75,000, especially when you’re a state 
agency on a starvation budget.

That’s exactly what Maryland Department of Natural Resources did. But 
that doesn’t mean they didn’t try to keep the money.

To stop Maryland’s first hunt for black bears in more than half a 
century, the Fund for Animals and the Humane Society offered DNR 
$75,000. The money, wrote the animal welfare groups in their March 17 
offer, would enable the department to “pay one-hundred-percent 
compensation to Maryland’s farmers for all eligible bear damage claims 
through the Black Bear Compensation Program.”

Farmers lose between $10,000 and $40,000 per year to bears. The 
remainder of the donation would be earmarked for education programs.

In return, DNR would have to call off the hunt.

“If the plan for a recreational bear hunt is withdrawn, the Fund and 
HSUS will collectively contribute up to $75,000 to the DNR for a program 
centered on bear damage compensation and bear-human conflict 
management,” stated the March letter to Paul Peditto, director of DNR’s 
Wildlife and Heritage Service.

“This was quite clearly not a legitimate offer,” said Peditto. “This was 
a bribe to cancel the bear hunt.”

The department “rejected the stipulation that the bear hunting season be 
canceled,” according to a press release. The department didn’t, however, 
reject the money.

“While we may not agree on the hunting regulation proposal, I hope that 
the Fund for Animals and Humane Societies of the United States’ 
commitment to assist us is sincere and that we can count on their 
financial and philosophical support,” said Peditto.

“That they’ll take the money,” said Michael Markarian, president of the 
Fund for Animals. “But refuse to meet the agreement is outrageous and 
clearly illustrates that DNR is not interested in helping farmers whose 
property is being destroyed.”

Peditto, in turn, accused the animal welfare groups of hypocrisy. “If 
these groups really wanted to help,” he said, “it would have been nice 
if they offered the money when we came up short raising money for the 
stamp fund, which is the only way we can legally compensate farmers.”

The Black Bear Conservation Stamp, a take-off on the very successful 
federal duck stamp program, is sold to raise money to reimburse farmers 
for bear damage. But this stamp didn’t take flight, and proceeds failed 
to cover farmers’ claims. In 2001, when $36,389 were claimed in damages, 
stamp funds covered only $21,833, or 60 percent, of those claims.

The Fund for Animals and the Humane Society rejected what Markarian 
called DNR’s “money grab.”

“It is clear that DNR is not seeking to solve bear conflicts in western 
Maryland,” added Markarian, “but simply to put bears in trophy hunters’ 
sights.”

Countered Peditto: “We’ve worked our butts off to provide non-lethal 
help to agricultural communities.”

In spite of the bad blood, Markarian said “the offer stands.”

—Louis Llovio

Photo:

To halt Maryland’s new black bear hunting season — enacted to cull 
nuisance ursines — the Fund for Animals and the Humane Society have 
offered DNR $75,000 to augment revenues generated by sales of the Black 
Bear Conservation Stamp. Funds from the stamps reimburse farmers for 
lost produce or livestock, but not enough stamps were sold to cover last 
year’s damages.