A provision in a new bill that would slap restrictions on when New Jerseyans can use bird feeders has bird enthusiasts and critics of governmental regulation fired up in opposition.
Under the bill — a proposed change to the state’s ban on feeding black bears — New Jerseyans who want to keep bird feeders out between April 1 and November 30 would have to suspend them at least 10 feet above the ground, empty them and bring them indoors every night, and keep the area below them free from food and debris. If they don’t, they could be fined.
The idea is to keep black bears away from humans. But Alex Wilkes, a GOP strategist and mother of two, called the bill’s bird-feeder provision “absurd.” Wilkes said her children look forward to seeing what birds visit their yard while they get ready in the morning, which they wouldn’t be able to do if she had to bring their feeder in every night and set it back up every morning.
“It’s unenforceable. It places an unreasonable burden on municipalities to go and have to patrol everybody’s bird-feeder habits,” she said. “It’s just truly a symptom of the nanny state in which we live.”
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-Sussex) grew up in Sussex County and has had plenty of encounters with bears. Bird feed may attract bears — but a hungry bear will break into a garage, cars, garbage cans, and even bear-proof cans, she said. Taking down bird feeders won’t stop the bears from looking for food before they den down for the winter season, she added.
“Needless to say, the residents of northwest New Jersey are highly, highly displeased with this bill,” said Fantasia.
She said it’s “so unbelievably offensive” that Central Jersey lawmakers are behind this bill that she says targets rural areas. Assemblyman Sterley Stanley (D-Middlesex) is one of the bill’s chief sponsors, along with Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Bergen).
“You don’t see us saying, ‘Hey, you need to clean up the litter in your cities and the mess that we see in the urban sprawl.’ You don’t see us talking about windmills and saying all these dead whales are washing up in the forests of Sussex County, because no such thing exists,” Fantasia said.
The bill’s sponsors did not return requests for comment.
We’re in the Garden State. Even a sociopathic mobster like Tony Soprano was able to find some solace in feeding his ducks.
– GOP strategist Alex Wilkes
The legislation wouldn’t apply to crop or animal feed on farms, people using bait while legally hunting or trapping during hunting seasons, and food stored in a closed shed or garage.
The bill would allow fines of between $100 and $500 for the first offense and $300 to $1,000 for any subsequent offenses. Local police, state police, and state fish, wildlife, parks, and forestry officials would enforce the provisions. Fantasia said the fines are too high.
The measure would also ban leaving out food overnight for cats, and in areas where bears are known to visit, feeding time is limited to two hours daily.
Wilkes noted that the bill would impact hobbyists and senior citizens who take pride in caring for and admiring local wildlife.
“We’re in the Garden State. Even a sociopathic mobster like Tony Soprano was able to find some solace in feeding his ducks. And now, we can’t even have damn bird feeders anymore,” she said.
Fantasia said she believes the bill is some lawmakers’ attempt to look for ways to manage bears without the controversial bear hunt, but rural residents aren’t spooked by bears roaming through their yards. It’s when bears start destroying property or coming in large numbers that it becomes a problem, Fantasia said.
The bear hunt was reinstated in New Jersey in 2022 after a four-year hiatus to manage the animals in parts of Bergen, Morris, Mercer, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Warren, and Hunterdon counties. The state estimates that black bear numbers had ballooned by 80% since 2018, when Gov. Phil Murphy took office and ended the hunt.
Nearly 400 bears were killed this year as of late October, with another round of hunting scheduled for early December. Opponents have long decried the hunt as an inhumane way to limit bear activity in New Jersey.
Fantasia reiterated her concern that lawmakers who don’t encounter bears are trying to legislate away a problem that she believes should be dealt with through the bear hunt.
“We would do ourselves a favor in New Jersey if we truly defer to the people who are actually living it day to day and the representatives who represent those people who are living it every day instead of having these knee-jerk, silly bills,” she said.
The bill is still being considered by committees in both legislative chambers.
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