by Justin M.
In August of 2013, near Cadillac, Michigan, a black bear attacked Abigail Wetherell while the 12-year-old was out running, injuring her to a degree that merited an airlift to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. Authorities are baffled as to the reason for the bear’s aggression, as, though black bears are common in the area, it is unusual for one to attack a human. In fact, Adam Bump, a bear specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), stated that “The normal, typical Michigan is going to do everything it can to avoid contact with people.” Yet, another Michigander is experiencing issues with black bears. Michigan House Representative Ed McBroom has been dealing with bear damage to his cornfield for the past 32 years. He states that this damage costs him roughly $5,000 to $10,000 in damage per year, but explains that “it’s not just frustrating because of the money[...]You spend a lot of hours planting the field out, picking rocks.” McBroom has proposed a bill to the Michigan House that would permit hunters to kill a bear out of season if it has “cause damage to emerging, standing, or harvested crops or to feed properly stored in accordance with normal agricultural practices.” The bill has thirteen other sponsors and is currently awaiting deliberation in the Committee on Agriculture. These two interactions between black bears and humans, though occurring within a relatively proximal timeframe, provide a contradictory messages: black bears rarely approach humans, but there are lawmakers who believe that regulatory measures must be enacted.
Granted, on their own, the experiences of Wetherell and McBroom could be isolated rarities that do not merit further study so much as a snippet in a local newspaper. However, these incidents act as small-scale harbingers for a wider ecological trend. While there are success stories, e.g. the Southern Michigan wild turtle has returned to Michigan for the first time since its disappearance in the 1990s, reports detailing habitat transformations contain a disconcerting implications. As Philip Myers notes that “Re-growth of forests plays a significant role in wildlife’s southward shift.” Myers, a University of Michigan ecology and evolutionary biology professor, further describes how “forests are in much better shape today than they have been since the logging and fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.” While this may seem like a generally positive shift, the ramifications are far more negative. The sudden appearance of deer populations in urban and suburban areas has resulted in car crashes that occasionally prove fatal. These incidents have, in turn, prompted the DNR to create a Landowner Incentive Program that encourages private landowners in problem areas such as Holly, Michigan to create more suitable habitats for wildlife. It is through governmental ventures such as this, as well as other community outreach programs, that will allow for both stable habitat rehabilitation and safe living environments for wildlife and humans alike.
References
Granted, on their own, the experiences of Wetherell and McBroom could be isolated rarities that do not merit further study so much as a snippet in a local newspaper. However, these incidents act as small-scale harbingers for a wider ecological trend. While there are success stories, e.g. the Southern Michigan wild turtle has returned to Michigan for the first time since its disappearance in the 1990s, reports detailing habitat transformations contain a disconcerting implications. As Philip Myers notes that “Re-growth of forests plays a significant role in wildlife’s southward shift.” Myers, a University of Michigan ecology and evolutionary biology professor, further describes how “forests are in much better shape today than they have been since the logging and fires of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.” While this may seem like a generally positive shift, the ramifications are far more negative. The sudden appearance of deer populations in urban and suburban areas has resulted in car crashes that occasionally prove fatal. These incidents have, in turn, prompted the DNR to create a Landowner Incentive Program that encourages private landowners in problem areas such as Holly, Michigan to create more suitable habitats for wildlife. It is through governmental ventures such as this, as well as other community outreach programs, that will allow for both stable habitat rehabilitation and safe living environments for wildlife and humans alike.
References
- “Michigan Girl, 12, attacked by black bear while out running,” Detroit Free Press, August 16, 2013, http://www.freep.com/article/20130816/NEWS06/308160072/Michigan-girl-12-attacked-by-black-bear-while-out-running
- “Hunt for crop-eating bears could start early,” Capital News Service, January 30, 2014, http://greatlakesecho.org/2014/01/30/hunt-for-crop-eating-bears-could-start-early-bill-says/
- Michigan House of Representatives, House Bill No. 5226: amendment to “Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act,” January 21, 2014, http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/billintroduced/House/pdf/2014-HIB-5226.pdf
- “Wildlife migrates as climate warms, forests recover,” Great Lakes Echo, October 17, 2012, http://greatlakesecho.org/2012/10/17/wildlife-migrates-as-climate-warms-forests-recover/
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, “Landowner Incentive Program,” accessed February 17, 2014, http://michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_36649---,00.html