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House Subcommittee Considers Polar Bear Bill
09-24-09
DALLAS-The U.S. House of Representatives Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee met Tuesday to consider H.R. 1054, a bill introduced by Congressman Don Young of Alaska, to allow the importation of legally hunted polar bear trophies.
The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) strongly supports this measure.
DSC life member Major Roger Oerter (USAF Ret.) participated in the hearing and described his personal predicament of a legally taken polar bear now held in Canada because it cannot be imported into the U.S. without passage of H.R. 1054.
As introduced, H.R. 1054 is a bill to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue import permits to hunters with legally taken polar bear trophies from Canada that were prohibited entry into the United States after the polar bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) made this change on May 15, 2008. Young's legislation would require hunters to prove that the polar bear was killed prior to this date before receiving the permit from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
This legislation is very specific and only deals with the 41 hunters that have legally harvested polar bears that they cannot presently import into the United States. The bill would also raise additional funds through the permitting process for polar bear conservation efforts. With permits costing $1,000, an additional $41,000 could be raised for this purpose by allowing these confiscated trophies to be imported into the United States.
"The hearing was a great first step towards this legislation becoming law and fixing a 'wrong' made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We have momentum now and we should keep the ball rolling on this important legislation," said DSC President Albert Wolfe, IV. "There is absolutely no science that tells us otherwise that these trophies should be denied entry into the United States."
Oerter, recently of the famed "Jolly Greens" Air Combat Rescue Team, told the subcommittee that his polar bear is presently in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He fielded several questions from the panel and gave the legislation real life-Oerter was the only one in the room that had a polar bear trophy in Canada not allowed to be imported into the United States due to the listing decision by the Department of the Interior.
"Major Oerter told his compelling story and left no question the law should be changed and that these legally taken bears should be allowed to be imported into the United States," said Glenn LeMunyon, the Dallas Safari Club's Washington consultant.
Also testifying in support of the legislation was Dr. Bill Moritz, director of conservation for Safari Club International. Assisting in making this hearing a success and preparing members of Congress was Jeff Crane of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. Leading the opposition in the hearing was Michael Markarian of the Humane Society of the United States and their attorneys.
The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) strongly supports this measure.
DSC life member Major Roger Oerter (USAF Ret.) participated in the hearing and described his personal predicament of a legally taken polar bear now held in Canada because it cannot be imported into the U.S. without passage of H.R. 1054.
As introduced, H.R. 1054 is a bill to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue import permits to hunters with legally taken polar bear trophies from Canada that were prohibited entry into the United States after the polar bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) made this change on May 15, 2008. Young's legislation would require hunters to prove that the polar bear was killed prior to this date before receiving the permit from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
This legislation is very specific and only deals with the 41 hunters that have legally harvested polar bears that they cannot presently import into the United States. The bill would also raise additional funds through the permitting process for polar bear conservation efforts. With permits costing $1,000, an additional $41,000 could be raised for this purpose by allowing these confiscated trophies to be imported into the United States.
"The hearing was a great first step towards this legislation becoming law and fixing a 'wrong' made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We have momentum now and we should keep the ball rolling on this important legislation," said DSC President Albert Wolfe, IV. "There is absolutely no science that tells us otherwise that these trophies should be denied entry into the United States."
Oerter, recently of the famed "Jolly Greens" Air Combat Rescue Team, told the subcommittee that his polar bear is presently in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He fielded several questions from the panel and gave the legislation real life-Oerter was the only one in the room that had a polar bear trophy in Canada not allowed to be imported into the United States due to the listing decision by the Department of the Interior.
"Major Oerter told his compelling story and left no question the law should be changed and that these legally taken bears should be allowed to be imported into the United States," said Glenn LeMunyon, the Dallas Safari Club's Washington consultant.
Also testifying in support of the legislation was Dr. Bill Moritz, director of conservation for Safari Club International. Assisting in making this hearing a success and preparing members of Congress was Jeff Crane of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. Leading the opposition in the hearing was Michael Markarian of the Humane Society of the United States and their attorneys.
Contact:
Steve Wagner, Blue Heron Communications, 800-654-3766 or steve@blueheroncomm.com
Steve Wagner, Blue Heron Communications, 800-654-3766 or steve@blueheroncomm.com
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