Conservation groups call on FWP to suspend trapping during pandemic
Footloose Montana, eleven other conservation groups and two community leaders have written the Director and Commission of Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks requesting a suspension of all trapping on public lands during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. “A temporary suspension of trapping is a common-sense action that puts the safety of communities first.”
Citing the need for people to safely exercise on public lands with their children and dogs, the letter notes that playgrounds, movie theaters and parks are closed.
The letter states: “Confining everyone to the few small places where trapping is banned is not socially responsible. People, children and dogs should be able to go outdoors and spread out at safe distances from each other, without fear of encountering a trap or snare that can maim or kill.”
The letter recalls recent trapping incidents of family dogs that discourage people from venturing on public lands and states that trapping is a non-essential activity that “like other non-essentials, should be closed.”
The groups call on Fish, Wildlife and Parks to “mitigate the spread of the virus and provide public safety by removing dangerous traps and snares.”
Official furbearer trapping ends in April. However, trapping for predators and nongame species is unregulated and ongoing year-round.
Co-signers of Footloose Montana’s call to temporarily suspend trapping include the Gallatin Wildlife Association, Swan View Coalition, WildWest Institute, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Bitterroot, Friends of the Wild Swan, Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force, Conservation Congress, Laramie Maxwell Environmental, Wyoming Untrapped, Betsy Brandborg, Legal Counsel and Lee Bridges, Director, East Missoula Community Council.
Footloose Montana, eleven other conservation groups and two community leaders have written the Director and Commission of Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks requesting a suspension of all trapping on public lands during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. “A temporary suspension of trapping is a common-sense action that puts the safety of communities first.”
Citing the need for people to safely exercise on public lands with their children and dogs, the letter notes that playgrounds, movie theaters and parks are closed.
The letter states: “Confining everyone to the few small places where trapping is banned is not socially responsible. People, children and dogs should be able to go outdoors and spread out at safe distances from each other, without fear of encountering a trap or snare that can maim or kill.”
The letter recalls recent trapping incidents of family dogs that discourage people from venturing on public lands and states that trapping is a non-essential activity that “like other non-essentials, should be closed.”
The groups call on Fish, Wildlife and Parks to “mitigate the spread of the virus and provide public safety by removing dangerous traps and snares.”
Official furbearer trapping ends in April. However, trapping for predators and nongame species is unregulated and ongoing year-round.
Co-signers of Footloose Montana’s call to temporarily suspend trapping include the Gallatin Wildlife Association, Swan View Coalition, WildWest Institute, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Bitterroot, Friends of the Wild Swan, Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force, Conservation Congress, Laramie Maxwell Environmental, Wyoming Untrapped, Betsy Brandborg, Legal Counsel and Lee Bridges, Director, East Missoula Community Council.
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