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Nevada black bear hunt opponents file appeal with state wildlife commission

Matthew Renda
Sierra Sun
Sun File PhotoThe Nevada Wildlife Commission approved a limited black bear hunt in December.
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INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. and#8212; Opponents of a recent wildlife commission decision to legalize black bear hunts in Nevada are continuing a battle to reverse the decision.

NoBearHuntNV.org and#8212; a nonprofit formed by Kathryn Bricker of Zephyr Cove and Christine Schwamberger of Incline Village and#8212; filed an appeal with the Nevada Wildlife Commission last week, alleging the group committed numerous procedural failures leading up to its December 2010 ruling to legalize the Silver Stateand#8217;s first-ever hunt.

The appeal and#8212; called a and#8220;Petition for Declaratory Orderand#8221; and#8212; claims the wildlife commission failed:



and#8226; to notify the public 30 days in advance of its intent to pass a regulation,

and#8226; to determine whether the bear hunt would have an adverse impact on small business, particularly in the Lake Tahoe Basin,



and#8226; to produce a Small Business Impact Statement,

and#8226; to notify the public at least 15 days in advance of the workshop required to adopt any new regulation,

and#8226; to and#8220;fully considerand#8221; the overwhelming majority of public comments against the bear hunt,

and#8226; to provide a management reason for the hunt,

and#8226; to consider the aesthetic and economic value of bears to tourism and the community,

and#8226; to provide any proper scientific data to determine the population of the bears, and to show how many bears were necessary to sustain a hunt; and

and#8226; to manage and protect bears for the public benefit, but instead considered only the financial benefit to be gained by the Nevada Department of Wildlife in having the bear hunt.

Ken Mayer, director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said the appeal has been forwarded to the departmentand#8217;s legal team and will be addressed by the wildlife commission at an upcoming meeting, in either May or June.

and#8220;The legal team will analyze whether the request made is reasonable and make recommendations accordingly,and#8221; he said in a phone interview last week.


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