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Joined:
7/14/2009
Posts:
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Last Post:
11/20/2009
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Subject:
Wyoming Bill Would Require Backcountry Users to Carry Bear Spray
Jackson Hole, WY (JH News and Guide) Teton County Attorney Steve Weichman is working on a bill that would
require permitted backcountry users in grizzly country to carry bear
spray.
Weichman announced the bill at a meeting of the
Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee on Thursday at Snow King
Resort in Jackson. Weichman is still working on the bill and has not
yet found a sponsor for the legislation.
The bill would require
all backcountry users who obtain permits to carry bear spray in
“grizzly country.” In the Yellowstone Ecosystem, that would include
overnight backcountry users in national parks, anglers and hunters who
possess licenses, outfitters and possibly even people cutting down
Christmas trees.
“We probably need bear spray legislation,”
Weichman said from his office in Jackson on Tuesday. “That reality came
home to roost when I learned how many grizzly bears are living in
places that were traditionally the exclusive domain of black bears.”
Not
only are human-grizzly conflicts increasing at a “nearly exponential
rate,” Weichman said, but also human deaths caused by grizzly bears.
While only 44 people have died from grizzly attacks since the beginning
of the 20th century, the majority of those attacks have occurred in the
last 20 years.
Weichman also cited two studies that show bear
spray is more effective than bullets at preventing injury to humans
during a bear attack. One such study, conducted by Brigham Young
University professor Thomas Smith, showed that bear spray stopped
aggressive bruins 92 percent of the time, while firearms worked 67
percent of the time.
Weichman said there is a “public trust” precedent for requiring bear spray.
“The public trust is more of a privilege than a right,” he said. “It is something that can be licensed and permitted.”
A
“great public trust in Wyoming is our wildlife,” he said. “Your right
to use that trust is also a privilege, and you may have to abide by
certain conditions like a hunting licenses or a fishing licenses or
back country camping permits.”
Weichman said he specifically chose not to target hunters for the bill.
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