January 19, 1996

Mr. D. J. Schubert
Fund for Animals, Inc.
850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 300
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Dear Mr. Schubert:

I apologize for having to cancel my meeting with you and the other members of the Black Bear Task Force this past Friday. Unfortunately, the severe weather and flooding conditions in Western Maryland warranted this to be the wiser course of action. I will reschedule our meeting as soon as possible, but wanted you to know our planned course of action.

As you are aware, last November the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sponsored a series of public information meetings to receive public comments on the Task Force's recommendations. These meetings were well attended and this issue has generated a considerable amount of attention throughout the State. Numerous individuals have written letters expressing their opinion on the recommendations of the Task Force. After considering the recommendations of the Task Force, the public's interest and desires, and all available biological information, DNR has developed the following plan of action to improve our bear management program:

1. The Department will support legislation during the 1996 Session of the General Assembly that would provide for monetary compensation to those landowners who have suffered extensive property damage due to black bears. Funding for this compensation program would be derived from the sale of "Black Bear Conservation Stamps" and voluntary contributions. I will provide $10,000 from the general fund appropriation as start-up money.

2. In those situations where black bears have caused extensive property damage, e.g., livestock depredation or serious agricultural damage, the Department will more aggressively remove individual problem bears.

3. The Department will increase efforts to educate landowners and provide technical assistance on how to handle nuisance bear problems. Handling nuisance bear problems effectively and professionally is an important aspect of the State's bear management program.

4. Although the black bear is classified as a "game mammal" in Maryland, the Department will not be proposing a hunting season for 1996. Maryland's occupied black bear range includes only a small percentage of the State, encompassing Garrett and Western Allegany Counties. This geographic area is part of a much larger Appalachian Highland region, which includes parts of Western Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, which have seen an increase in bear population numbers in recent years. DNR's wildlife biologists feel that bears will eventually inhabit eastern Allegany County and portions of Washington County. A goal of the Department's bear management plan is to manage the black bear as a native wildlife species, where suitable habitat exists, while maintaining the population at a level compatible with other land uses.

We believe that delaying the hunting season for black bears will allow greater opportunity for bears to extend their range; allow assessment of increased educational efforts, compensation program and more aggressive nuisance animal control program in reducing problems, and, will provide additional time to increase the awareness of the citizens of the State about the viability of the bear population and the role hunting plays in managing the population, the same as our neighboring states.

I appreciate the time and effort that you have volunteered as a member of the Task Force, and your commitment to improving Maryland's black bear management program. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss in more detail the strategies that I have outlined above.

In closing, I want to assure you that I am committed to aggressively addressing the problems bears have created and will continue to take additional actions that will resolve the problems to the mutual benefit of all.

Sincerely,

John R. Griffin

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