McNeil bears need governor's support

Larry Aumiller

By LARRY AUMILLER

I recently returned from the world's greatest summer job at one of the world's premiere wildlife viewing sites. For the last three decades I've been unbelievably fortunate to work at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. I know it's extraordinary because of my own travels around the world and because thousands of visitors have told me that experiencing the bears of McNeil River was one of the absolute best outdoor experiences they have ever had. But what makes McNeil most special is the fact that it supported the world's largest seasonal concentration of brown bears. The world's largest. I've seen 72 bears at once!
The state agrees it's special. There are only three state game sanctuaries, the highest level of protection, in all of Alaska.

But since 1999, bear numbers have fallen to less than half of what they were at the peak. Possible causes include continued low salmon runs into McNeil River and increased bear hunting in adjacent areas.
The salmon issue is currently being addressed by two research projects. But rather than adding protections for the diminishing McNeil River population, the Board of Game is seeking to increase the hunting of McNeil River bears on the sanctuary boundaries. Last spring, the Board of Game voted down all four proposals that would have maintained the status quo or added protection for McNeil River bears. This action was taken despite oral and written testimony that was hundreds to one in favor of protection. So I expect bear numbers to drop even further when seasons open immediately to the north and the south in 2007. The Board of Game has shown it cannot be influenced by the public on this issue.

The only way to reverse this is to ask the governor to intercede on behalf of McNeil bears. The governor has spoken repeatedly of the importance of developing our economy. Tourism, the second biggest money maker in the state, is dependent on tourists' belief that there will be wildlife available to enjoy when they visit. If the state fails to protect its premiere wildlife viewing site it will become apparent to tourists that we are offering leftovers.

More than any other single person, I am responsible for habituating McNeil bears to humans. That means that through every single interaction for over 30 years, we have done everything humanly possible to get bears to accept our benign presence. And guess what? It has worked incredibly well. McNeil River bears allow us to see them fish, graze, mate, mother, play, fight and grow old. Because we have cultivated their confidence, we have more responsibility to protect them. The very bears that trust us the most are the most vulnerable to hunting, which will be occurring literally a one-hour walk away from McNeil Falls.

To purposely and knowingly kill these habituated animals for trophies is beyond any definition of reasonable ethics or fair chase and, I believe, is morally wrong. I've always envisioned that I'd be at McNeil River until I couldn't physically do it anymore. But I can't continue to remove the bears' only protection -- their natural wariness -- knowing that even more of them will soon be exposed to hunting. Sadly I decided to give up the world's greatest job and have retired.
We still have the equivalent of a 10-karat diamond in McNeil River but we once had the Hope diamond. The Department of Fish and Game has been an excellent manager all these years; it's now the Board of Game that is currently threatening the reputation and integrity of the sanctuary. My parting wish is that the people of Alaska are able to convince the governor of the value of the bears and the viewing program and give them the recognition and protection they deserve.

Larry Aumiller retired in 2007 after 34 years with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, including 30 at McNeil River.