Voters face choices in upcoming election - Bear baiting back on the ballot

Controversy surrounds the citizen's initiative on bear hunting that voters will consider at the November 4 election polls in Maine. Question 1 on the referendum ballot states, "Do you want to ban the use of bait, dogs or traps in bear hunting except to protect property, public safety or for research?" Current law allows hunters to use bait to hunt bears during any portion of the open bear hunting season, allows hunters to use dogs for hunting bears during a certain portion of the season and allows hunters to use traps for hunting bears.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W), which manages the state's black bear population, opposes the initiative. In a release, IF&W states, "In Maine, bait, hounds and traps account for 93% of our annual bear harvest. Maine is the most forested state in the country, and our woods have a thick understory, which makes still‑hunting extremely difficult. The loss of bait, hounds and traps for bear hunting will have a much larger impact on Maine's bear management program than it has in other states." The IF&W black bear management plan is revised every 15 years with the next date of revision set for 2015.
The group Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting is a supporter of the initiative and says that Maine is the only state in the country that still allows all three practices. They state that the bear population has grown in Maine by 253% since 1975, when baiting became popular. They explain, "In Maine, baiting hasn't stabilized the bear population -- it's grown by 30% since 2004. Meanwhile, other states have taken the lead and enacted less cruel, more effective methods of stabilization." The groups says that the practice is scientifically indefensible. "Wildlife biologists and management professionals warn that baiting alters bear behavior by habituating bears to human food, which increases the likelihood of conflicts; baiting grows the bear population by increasing reproductivity and cub survival rates; and baiting could spread disease because bears and other wildlife are concentrated near bait sites."
According to the group, about six million pounds of bait is put into the Maine forests per year. Maine is the only remaining state to allow bear trapping.
In 1999 the IF&W management plan found that the state's black bear carrying capacity was a little over 36,000, revised from the 1985 plan's stated 30,000. In addition, the 1999 plan expected the population to remain steady at about 26,000 bears, up from the 1985 plan's number of 21,000. IF&W now estimates the population at about 30,000. It expects the population to remain robust unless significant changes develop in the hardwood forests, with a particular focus on beech trees and a blight that could have serious effects on beech stands. Beech nuts are a source of high nutrition for black bears, and with female bears needing a certain percentage of body fat and mass to reproduce, IF&W states that there is potential for significant black bear decline should beech trees begin to fail. However, without such an event occurring, the agency expects the bear population to remain healthy and in need of population controls through the annual harvest of about 4,500 bears by still‑hunting and hunting with the use of bait, dogs, often wearing GPS tracking devices, and traps.
In addition to the bear-hunting referendum, the ballot includes six bond issue questions.

Bond to fund health threats laboratory
Question 2 asks voters if they favor an $8 million bond to support the creation of an animal and plant disease and insect control laboratory that would be administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. The creation of the lab and its services would support Maine agriculture, facilitate economic growth in natural‑based industries and monitor human health threats related to ticks, mosquitoes and bedbugs. The bond would run for no longer than 10 years and would incur $1,760,000 in interest over its lifetime.

Bond for small business loans program
Question 3 asks voters if they favor a $12 million bond with $4 million to be used to insure loans to small businesses through the Finance Authority of Maine and $8 million to be used as flexible loans to small businesses through the Regional Economic Development Revolving Loan Program. The bond would run no longer than 10 years and would incur $2,640,000 in interest over its lifetime.

Bond to support Jackson Lab expansion
Question 4 asks voters if they favor a $10 million bond requiring a match of $11 million in private funds to build a research center at the Jackson Laboratory on Mount Desert Island. The proceeds would be administered by the Maine Technology Institute within the Department of Economic and Community Development. The bond is expected to incur $2,200,000 in interest over a 10-year period.

Bond to support biomedical research institutions
Question 5 asks voters if they favor a $3 million bond that would be used by 13 private and public colleges, universities and research institutions in Maine and led by the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory to modernize and expand their laboratory infrastructure, which specializes in tissue repair and regeneration. The bond is expected to incur $660,000 in interest over a 10-year period.

Clean drinking water bond
Question 6 asks voters if they favor a $10 million bond to ensure clean water through the protection of drinking water sources through wetland restoration, job creation and public infrastructure work. The bond would provide $5,400,000 for public improvement projects including stream crossings and culvert upgrades; $400,000 for wetland restoration; $2,400,000 for a wastewater treatment facilities revolving loan fund, allowing the state to secure federal grants; $1,800,000 for a drinking water systems revolving loan fund, also allowing the state to secure federal grants. The bond is expected to incur $2,200,000 in interest over a 10-year period.

Bond to benefit marine‑based industry applicant
Question 7 asks voters if they favor a $7 million bond that would be distributed in a single award requiring an equal match in private or other funds. A competitive process will be followed for the award, and the successful applicant will include the following entities: a marine‑based research program, a commercial fishing or aquaculture interest, local development community organization and private sector businesses. The successful applicant must also include proposals for growth in the following areas: traditional commercial fishing, aquaculture, value‑added seafood processing and market development for Maine‑based products. The bond would run for no longer than 10 years and would incur $1,540,000 in interest.