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Written by MFOA
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Thursday, 07 April 2005 |
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Acting upon the recommendations of Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe,
the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) has spent
the past two years pursuing an “incidental take permit,” a federal
document stating that Maine has done everything possible to ensure the
safety of protected species and thus, would not be held liable der the
Endangered Species Act. Responding to DIF&W’s second effort at
writing a permit application, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told
state biologists that significant work remained. The USFWS letter
criticized the department’s plan as 46 somewhat troubling and appears
to be disingenuous,” and requested more scientific evidence of the
negative impact that coyotes have on deer populations and that the
snaring program works. “The state has offered no support for its
contentions that many of the proposed alternatives are unworkable or
unwaffanted,” the letter continued. DIF&W’s Ken Elowe said, “common
sense and anecdotal information prove that localized coyote control
works.” This update appears to be very good news and perhaps another
nail in the coffin of this ugly program, but the battle is not over.
Letters to the Governor and members of the Committee on IF&W should
continue.
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January 2008