This commentary is by Josie Daigle of Burlington.
As a student interested in policy and the environment, I wanted to learn more about the ways that wildlife policy decisions are made.
Given that Vermont is a state full of people who care deeply about the natural world and our interactions with it, I hoped to see that our policy decisions represented the wide range of opinions and values of Vermonters.
In learning about the current way our Fish & Wildlife Board operates, I became concerned that it did not represent the interests of the state as a whole. The board is composed only of hunters, anglers, hounders and trappers, so basically it’s a board that regulates themselves and their fellow sportsmen and women.
It seemed wrong that there wasn’t a single person representing the diverse interests of the non-hunting/trapping public, so I dug deeper into the way that the board is functioning.
I’ve read through various petitions to the board and reviewed their minutes, and it’s evident that any petitions seeking more protective regulations are met with opposition. While comments about all methods of hunting, hounding and trapping wildlife are met with respect and are taken seriously, those looking to better protect wildlife are met with blatant disinterest at best or hostility and scorn at worst.
Despite whatever public comments are made and the compelling cases put forth for reform, the board continues to cater to their fellow hunters, anglers and trappers over the diverse values of the Vermont public. The way this board treats the general public causes people like me not to want to get involved, and that stifles democracy.
S.258 establishes training for board members on the impacts of climate change on wildlife, how to reduce human and wildlife conflicts, and other critical aspects of wildlife conservation. It also requires both license holders and non-holders (who make up about 80% of Vermonters) be on the board. It shifts the decision-making authority to the Fish & Wildlife Department rather than an all-volunteer board.
Another element of the bill is that it prohibits coyote hounding and hunting coyotes over bait. Hounds don’t only pursue coyotes but also non-targeted animals. They put pets, protected wildlife, deer, moose and other animals in danger while violating private property owner rights.
I question why baiting is allowed for hunting coyotes when it’s not allowed for almost all other forms of hunting?
Recently, a dog named Sadie was killed by a Vermont hunter who mistook her for a coyote when she was feeding off his bait pile. Tragically, Sadie is not the only pet who has been mistaken for a coyote and killed. Leaving out bait piles to attract coyotes to hunt them habituates wildlife to the area, thereby potentially creating wildlife conflicts with humans.
In addition, modern science informs us that hunting coyotes in general does not reduce their population and may cause increased breeding and conflicts with humans. Even Fish & Wildlife acknowledges this on their website, so why isn’t the science being followed?
Why are we allowing the Fish & Wildlife Board to continue representing only a segment of the public?
Why are we allowing ecologically unsound and exceptionally cruel methods of hunting coyotes?
With the passage of S.258, Vermont can take one step closer to being a leader in true conservation, not just conserving the desires of special interests.
