A proposal to allow hunting of Connecticut’s black bears is no more.  On Friday, members of the legislature’s Environment Committee unveiled new language for Senate Bill 1523, a proposal that would have allowed the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to establish and regulate a bear hunting season. Instead, the new bill stripped out much of that language and replaced it with new rules that expand the circumstances under which farmers may be allowed to kill bears for damaging their crops. “Despite the title of this bill, an ‘Act Concerning Bear Hunting,’ this bill is not moving forward a bear hunt,” said state Rep. John-Michael Parker, D-Madison, who serves as co-chair of the committee. The move marked the latest time that lawmakers in Connecticut have pulled back on proposals to allow bear hunting, which is practiced in most surrounding states with the exception of Rhode Island. Proponents of a hunt say it would help reduce conflicts with the state’s growing population of black bears, which DEEP estimates ranges from 1,000 to 1,200 bears. Opponents, however, argue that hunting would do little to deal with the most problematic bears — which are often found roaming away from the woods into populated areas — and that it does not align with the state’s values. “It’s getting through to elected officials that hunting is not a solution to resolving bear conflicts,” Annie Hornish, a co-founder of the CT Coalition to Protect Bears, said Friday. Hornish said she was disappointed lawmakers opted not to provide funding for bear-resistant trash cans and a more robust public awareness campaign to encourage people to take steps to avoid attracting bears as part of the legislation. “That would have been the best outcome, but we’re happy that they’re not moving forward with hunting,” she said. After announcing their revisions to the bill Friday, members of the Environment Committee voted 27-6 to advance the legislation to the Senate. All six opposing votes came from Democrats. One of those voting no, state Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, said the bill still did not do enough to find non-lethal solutions for dealing with bears that forage on crops, such as using packs of specially trained dogs to harass bears away from farms. “We’re basically laying out a buffet for these bears and then we’re kind of shocked when they show up and eat it,” Mushinsky said. Other lawmakers lamented the decision to back off of a hunt, which they noted had the support of DEEP and Gov. Ned Lamont. “We constantly find ways to negate a real bear management plan,” said state Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes, R-Woodbury. “For the record, the bill was not about a trophy hunt… it was about public safety that is presently in danger because of our inaction.” The last time legislation was seriously considered to allow a hunt, in 2023, it was similarly amended by the Environment Committee to remove hunting provisions. Instead, that bill set up a process by which farmers could apply for a permit from DEEP allowing them to kill nuisance animals damaging their crops, livestock or bee hives. Those rules allowed farmers to kill 15 bears last year, according to DEEP. But state Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, said the process has moved too slowly for some farmers who find the bears gone by the time they get approval from wildlife officials. Horn helped draft the revisions to S.B. 1523 that would allow farmers to get permission to kill a bear up to a year after it is documented damaging crops if it returns to the same property. “Bears can destroy acres of crops in a short period of time,” Horn said Friday. “If they have to watch that happen, get a permit, and then come back for the bear, by that time the bear is gone. You’ve lost the crop for the season.” Hornish said on Friday that the Coalition to Protect Bears has concerns about how farmers will verify whether a bear is the same individual they’ve have problems with in the past. Lawmakers said Friday they will continue to work on the exact language of the bill as it moves forward. ...read more read less