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A public hearing on the state Department of Environmental Protection's proposed black bear management policy, described by officials as a scientifically designed, common sense mix of hunting, education, research and non-lethal bear management tools, is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the State Museum in Trenton.

DEP Commissioner Bob Martin in March approved the state Fish and Game Council's 2010 Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, which will be under consideration.

If the proposed policy is approved, it would allow the first bear hunt in the state since 2005, an action opposed by environmentalists.

"Evidence compiled by the DEP shows the black bear population is sustainable and growing,'' Martin said Monday. "There has been a marked increase in the number of bear and human encounters, including a doubling of incidents involving bears that exhibit behavior that is an immediate threat to human safety.''

Martin said there also has been a marked increase in agricultural damage to farmland and personal property damage caused by black bears.

"The Fish and Game Council incorporated the latest research and science into its proposed black bear management policy," Martin said. "It shows an increase in serious bear incidents and supports the need for hunting, in addition to continued non-lethal management tools and public education."

The proposed black bear policy includes penalties for persons who feed bears or lure them into populated areas, public education on co-existing with bears, practical efforts to reduce conflicts between bears and people, a controlled hunt, and more research and monitoring of the bear issue.

A recent black bear population estimate, based on a 2009 study by East Stroudsburg University, showed there are about 3,400 bears in an area north of Route 80 in Morris, Sussex, Warren and Passaic counties. The bear population in this area increased to its current level from an estimate of just 500 bears in 1992. This is the nearly 1,000 square-mile region where a hunt would be sanctioned.

The number of incidents, involving black bears exhibiting behavior that is an immediate threat to human safety, or causing agricultural damage or severe property damage, increased 96 percent from 2006 to 2009.

In the first four months of 2010, there has been an 82 percent increase in black bear "nuisance'' reports, over last year. These are situations that are not a threat to life or property but instances where black bears persistently appear at school buildings, bus stops, playgrounds, campgrounds and restaurants, or repeatedly visit trash dumpsters or neighborhood trash cans that are properly sealed.

Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club director, intends to argue a bear hunt is unnecessary.

"New Jersey has significantly cut back funds for bear management, including eliminating the bear warden program as well as cutting funds for officers providing education programs and bear aversion therapy, and other non-lethal methods of management,'' Tittel said. "By cutting these funds, the state has eliminated the possibility of any type of effective bear management program and is now looking towards a hunt, which will not solve the problem of nuisance bears.''

Tittel said the most important component in an effective bear management plan is education. He said more than 500,000 New Jerseyans live in bear country, but many of them do not have the expertise or experience to understand bears and know how to avoid confrontations with them. He also said at the most basic level, people need to be taught that bears are wild animals and should be treated with respect and from a distance.

"People must be educated that feeding bears as they would pets is dangerous and will lead to aggressive behavior in the future,'' Tittel said. "This is not a management hunt, it’s a recreational hunt,'' Tittel said of a possible bear hunt. "Nuisance bears living under decks and in sheds will continue to cause disturbances, while docile bears living in forests, away from humans, will be targeted by the hunters. Whether you have a hunt or not, there is not an effective bear management plan in place. Through cuts to the bear education programs, the state of New Jersey has abandoned managing black bears. To many people black bears are a symbol that New Jersey has some wild places left. By having a bear hunt you are supporting the continued urbanization of New Jersey because it is hard to sell condos to people from Brooklyn if there are bears in the area.''

Martin said DEP Conservation Officers have inspected more than 4,600 residential properties in high bear incident areas and found 98 percent in compliance with black bear garbage management guidelines. This spring, the officers are focusing enforcement efforts and education outreach on commercial properties in high bear incident areas.

The state Supreme Court, in a 2005 ruling, said the Fish and Game Council may authorize a black bear hunt only if a hunt is consistent with a comprehensive black bear management policy developed by the Council and approved by the DEP commissioner.

In addition to Tuesday's public hearing, written comments will be accepted through June 18. They can be mailed to Larry Herrighty, Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, Division of Fish and Wildlife, DEP, P.O. Box 400, Trenton, N.J. 08625-0400.

At the close of the public comment period, the council and Martin will review the comments and make a final decision on the policy.

To review the Fish and Game Council's proposed black bear management policy, click here.

The State Museum is located at 205 West State St.

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM