outdoors

A poster on my "Protect Minnesota's Research Bears" page on Facebook sent this to me.

I think she expresses things quite well.

5/19/11

T.R.

As a human being, and a resident of this planet, I believe that it is not only a privilege, but an obligation to continue to educate myself in as many areas of life as possible. I happened upon Dr. Lynn Rogers’ bear research in the winter of 2009 when the camera was placed in Lily’s den. My husband, an environmental scientist, sent me a link to the website. I have been an avid watcher/follower of Dr. Rogers’ bear research ever since then, which was just before Hope was born. I, like many others, found that, what I believed to be facts about black bears and their habits were actually completely false. Because of Dr. Rogers’ rare type of research, one based in trust, which allows him & Sue Mansfield to collar and follow the bears and observe/record them in their natural habitat, behaving as bears do, children and adults around the world are discovering how wrong those previous “facts” are. By knowing not only where black bears live in Minnesota, but also how they behave in the wild, this research is helping people everywhere learn how to live more harmoniously with these wonderful creatures. As humans continually expand their own living areas, encroaching further and further into the territories of wild animals, this knowledge is extremely important to help humans and animals alike avoid conflict (one of the many aspects of Dr. Rogers’ research).

Dr. Rogers’ unique method of building trust with this one clan of bears, who allow him to collar them without the hazards of tranquilization, and to follow them in their environment while being ignored by the bears, gains scientific knowledge never before seen. Unlike the DNR’s collared bears, if any one of these bears is lost, Dr. Rogers can’t simply take the collar and put it on another bear. If any of these bears are lost, vast amounts of specific life information is lost. The simple statement, “hunting is a part of research”, that DNR Commissioner Landwehr made to WCCO, may be true for the DNR’s particular research, but is not completely true in relation to what Dr. Rogers is trying to learn and teach the world. This is why it is so very important to protect this small number of bears. There are 20,000 bears to hunt in the state of Minnesota; it should not be a hardship to anyone to protect the dozen bears that are collared for Dr. Rogers’ research: research that is a benefit to people all over the world.

The mission statement of the Minnesota DNR states: “The mission of the Minnesota DNR is to work with the citizens to conserve and manage the state’s natural resources, to provide outdoor recreational opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.” [] “DNR’s integrated resource management strategy shares stewardship responsibility with citizens and partners to manage for multiple interests. DNR manages…and protects rare plant and animal communities throughout the state.” In my opinion, this very mission statement shows that the DNR should be standing behind the idea of protecting these bears, not opposing it. These bears are not only a natural resource, but also a scientific one, and we citizens are asking, in large numbers (28,000 signed the protection petition), the DNR to work with us to conserve them. Conserve, by dictionary definition is: Verb: Protect (something, esp. an environmentally or culturally important place or thing) from harm or destruction. Again, the mission statement says: “DNR manages…and protects rare plant and animal communities throughout the state.” The dictionary definition of rare is: (of a thing) Not found in large numbers and consequently of interest or value. While black bears, in general, are not rare, this one clan of research bears is indeed a rare animal community in the state of Minnesota, and should, by the DNR’s own mission statement, be protected.

It is my understanding that most big game hunters tend to hunt a variety of animals. It should, therefore, be nothing new, and no hardship for them, to require them to look for a collar covered in brightly colored ribbons. For example, in some areas of Minnesota, there are point restrictions to hunt deer; the hunter must see a minimum of 3-4 points, and the points and tines must be at least 1 inch long. The 2010 MN Hunting Regulations book states in its section How to Field Judge a Buck: “Bring binoculars and take the time to look at the antlers and count the points before you shoot. Wait for the deer to turn broadside, it will make it easier to count the points.” These are the required things a hunter must see before taking a safe, legal shot at a deer…the number and length of points and tines on a deer’s antlers, which are very nearly the same color as their surrounding environment. How could requiring a hunter to look closely enough at a black bear to see if it has a collar with brightly colored ribbons against black fur, be any more difficult for them than the deer requirements? If they can’t see those neon ribbons, chances are they can’t see the bear well enough to safely take that shot anyway.

No one is telling hunters they can not hunt bear in Minnesota. We all understand the purpose of hunting seasons, and that it is one of “the commercial uses of natural resources” in the DNR mission statement. Dr. Rogers, himself, has publicly stated that he is not against hunting. We are only talking about a dozen bears in a state that contains 20,000. Dr. Rogers has also never stated that these are “his bears”. These bears are for all of us to enjoy and learn from, and the irreplaceable knowledge that they have supplied, and can continue to supply, to the citizens of Minnesota, and the world, must be allowed to continue in a state of protection.

Commissioner Landwehr stated to WCCO tv that the DNR has had the “same way of operating with Dr. Rogers since 1992”. While that “way of operating” may have been suitable and agreeable in the beginning, situations change. Anyone who runs a business, or heads any type of organization knows that in order to thrive, things need to evolve with the times. It is time for a change. It is time for the DNR to stand with the large number of citizens that have spoken out, (not with just a handful of people against protection-only 100 or so people signed that petition) and act for protection, as your mission statement reads. It is time for the legislature to act for the people, which is what they were elected to do, and protect these research bears. It’s a positive step in the right direction for science, and for the education of youth and adults in Minnesota, the US, and the world at large.

With Deepest Sincerity,

Julie Ann Nevill – St. Paul, MN (Ramsey County, USA)