Sen. Troy Jackson-D (District 35 Northern Aroostook County) has introduced L.D. 101 “An Act to Institute a Snaring Program for Coyotes”.    This anti-wildlife and anti-Maine bill is ill-conceived and without any scientific basis.  Its intent is merely to pander to those who take pleasure in killing.

Several years ago Maine had an active coyote snaring program.  It was stopped under threat of a lawsuit when the Dept. of Attorney General opined that Maine could be open to federal prosecution under the Endangered Species Act if lynx were harmed or killed by coyote snarers.  The State of Maine applied for an Incidental Take Permit to kill lynx while snaring coyotes.  That permit has not been granted.  Maine has never documented that coyotes negatively impact the deer herd or that snaring coyotes will benefit the deer herd.  Maine’s Governor Paul LePage has consistently argued that he supports those environmental rules and regulations that are supported by science.  If he is consistent in applying this standard, one would therefore expect that he would be opposed to coyote snaring because it is not supported by science.  The snaring of coyotes is nothing more than something to do for recreation during Maine’s long winter.

Snaring is both indiscriminate and cruel.    Wolves are also very susceptible to snaring.  We expect that wolves will be killed in Maine in violation of the Endangered Species Act if this snaring program were re-instituted.

If you want to contact Senator Jackson to express your opinion on his bill you can email him at http://www.mainesenate.org/jackson/email.htm or you can telephone him at 207-436-0763 (home) or 207-287-1515 (Senate office).

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