In Bob Galvin’s recent commentary, he complains that our state’s Fish & Wildlife Department represents hunters, trappers and angler over “nonconsumptive users.” Mr. Galvin and his fellow animal rights extremists believe that if they write enough letters to the editor and underwrite enough media outlets, their fringe beliefs will become mainstream.
Before you write me off as someone who is just blowing smoke and trying to tarnish someone’s reputation by using the term extremist, bear with me. A quick internet search reveals that the Center for a Humane Economy (which Bob Galvin is state director of) is backing legislation in Washington that will take milk out of our children’s lunches and replace them with soy products. I think that is an extreme position.
Bob Galvin’s fellow extremists over at Protect Our Wildlife Vermont are also upset that they are not given a seat on the Fish and Wildlife Board.
A quick trip over to Protect Our Wildlife’s Facebook page shows that it takes issue with the Fish & Wildlife Department using yearling antler beam diameter as a metric to measure the health of our deer herd. Yearling antler beam diameter is determined by environmental factors and is one of the many tools wildlife scientists the world over use to measure the health of deer herds and the quality of habitat.
Why should a group that takes issue with widespread methodology be given a seat on the Fish and Wildlife Board? This isn’t the department trying to grow big bucks to attract more hunters; it is scientists trying to monitor the health of our deer population. How would these groups propose we improve this?
Its president believes that she is more qualified to make decisions about managing Vermont’s bear population than Fish & Wildlife scientists who have spent their lives studying these animals. Her qualifications are being wealthy and from Connecticut. In case you are unaware, Connecticut’s brand of black bear management or lack thereof is not something we need brought across state lines.
I don’t trap or hunt with dogs but I do worry when fringe groups repeatedly claim they are entitled to a position on the rulemaking body that governs Vermont’s fish, wildlife and wildlife management areas.
Doug Hill
Hartland
