Viewer Viewpoint
And now, a few words from our viewers...

Changing state agencies that control wildlife
by Barb Sashaw
jeanpublic@yahoo.com

Over the course of the past ten years, I have become aware of the nature of the state agencies that control the wildlife that belongs to all of us. For example, in NJ (and NY/PA is the same), out of 11 members on the NJ Div Fish & Game agency, 7 come from hunting clubs, 3 from farmers agencies and 1 from the public (and that person is an ex hunter). So that you get ONE VIEWPOINT ON WILDLIFE - THAT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO KILLING IT for pleasure.

For that reason, and since hunters in NJ only represent much less than one per cent of the population of 8,500,000, this agency is desperately off course since they seek to grow deer herds so that they can shoot them, they grow pheasants so that they can put them out in the field the night before and be shot in the morning, they are spreading wild turkeys all over when some areas consider them traffic hazards. There seems to be no compassionate handling of wildlife - only making sure game animals are grown for target practice.

We all need to reconsider this 1930 approach to wildlife. It is desperately out of sync with 2001 and the future and civilization. Our wildlife is under stress from overdevelopment, etc. It does not need to be "managed" and manipulated for target practice.

We need to look to our state legislators to change the composition of this agency.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in the Viewer Viewpoint
are not necessarily your Guide's views and opinions.

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