The National Park Service proposed Friday ending a ban on bear baiting across 22 million acres of national preserve in Alaska, reviving a decadelong fight over whether luring bears with tasty treats and other disputed hunting methods clashes with parks’ conservation mission.
The proposal would reverse a 2024 ban on the state-sanctioned practice that proponents said would help stop inhumane sportsmanship. Alaska and some hunting groups have countered that the park service’s rules trample on Alaska’s right to manage its wildlife and are unnecessary to conserve wildlife populations.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Friday that the NPS proposal would slash “unnecessary federal overreach” and restore a balance between state and federal management under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, which established most of the national park lands in the state.
“For decades, Alaska’s national preserves were managed under a framework that respected the State’s authority, protected subsistence uses and ensured conservation of wildlife resources,” Burgum said in a statement.
