I am a Vermonter with a passion for outdoor recreation, conservation and a deep appreciation of the ecosystems found in Vermont and our greater region. Having seen the volume of editorial space the group Protect Our Wildlife Vermont takes up in many of the local publications I read, I thought I would look them up.
As a person who is passionate about wildlife, I thought this might be an organization worth supporting or getting involved in. After looking at its Facebook page, I have two big concerns.
The first: The page is full of threatening language aimed at law-abiding citizens. At this point, trapping and bear hunting are legal in Vermont. I don’t participate in either. Whether or not we agree with the ethics of this activity, threats of violence toward individuals is completely unacceptable and should not be condoned. By publishing their frequent editorials and commentaries without disclaimer, I wonder if VTDigger is tacitly in agreement with these practices.
Second, the group appears to be very much opposed to open access on lands that are not posted in Vermont. While they may think this affects only hunters and anglers, it actually impacts all the Vermonters and visitors to our state that enjoy mountain biking, cross-country and backcountry skiing, hiking and any other outdoor recreation that takes place lawfully on private property.
Doug Hill
Windsor
