In 2016, then gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy promised to place a moratorium on the bear hunt, ending the Christie administration's and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's annual massacre of our beloved black bears.

Unlike previous Governors Christie Whitman, John McGreevey and Jon Corzine, whose staffs met and worked with humane and environmental organizations to implement nonlethal plans and stop the hunt, Phil Murphy's policy chief or Acting DEP Commissioner McCabe have refused to meet with any groups who oppose the hunt.

Murphy made a public pledge and his staff has, astonishingly, not even met with groups opposed to the hunt. The DEP and McCabe are just meeting with the Fish and Game Council and Division of Fish and Wildlife, who are hunt activists in state uniform. How can Murphy or McCabe not know that the DEP should be meeting with with NGOs? (non-governmental organizations).

Secondly, how on earth can any educated person not realize that a Fish and Game Council made up of private hunting clubs is not the ideal source to ask if we should have a bear hunt? Yet Murphy ostensibly asked the DEP to work with the Fish and Game Council to see what the hunters think about a bear hunt? It's akin to asking Reynolds Tobacco if we should smoke.

By only working with the hunter-backed state agency, Governor Murphy is setting the stage to renege on his promise. If you are outraged, please sign and share this petition.

Murphy needs to meet with pro-bear NGOs, especially the Bear Group, a public service organization with 26-years of educating the public about black bears. Murphy must honor his promise, stop the hunt, and implement nonlethal solutions.

 BEAR HUNTS:

 - do nothing to protect public safety

- do nothing to prevent incidences and complaints

- are cruel, recreational bait and shoot trophy hunts

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, New Jersey Fish and Game Council, and bear hunters should be held liable for any incidences involving black bears because they have failed to support and implement Bear Smart initiatives.

 WHAT DOES WORK:

Public Education | Garbage Containment | Attractant Control

Nationwide studies show the number one solution is nonlethal conflict management and keeping bears away from unnatural food sources. Denying bears access to unnatural food sources results in a lower fertility rate and keeps bears away from residential neighborhoods. For more information, please visit: www.bearsmartnj.org