Feb. 24–That’s why we have a problem with the lawsuit filed against the State of Michigan by the anti-hunting group Keep Michigan Wolves Protected.
The lawsuit wants to allow out-of-state petition-gatherers to contribute to the group’s efforts to stop the recently added Michigan wolf hunt.
Two things stand out about the lawsuit:
–First, it suggests that Keep Michigan Wolves Protected lacks the support it needs in Michigan, and has to go elsewhere to find those ready to rally to its cause.
–Secondly, why should the public — especially the public from other states –decide whether or not a wolf hunt is feasible in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula?
A year ago, Michigan’s lawmakers handed the responsibility of setting hunting seasons to the state’s Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Commission.
These groups are made up of scientists who, to the best of their ability, attempt to manage Michigan’s wildlife by opening up hunting seasons when animals are plentiful and curbing the number of permits handed out when numbers of various species are down.
It’s not a perfect system, of course. But in our eyes, we’d rather have experts with our state’s natural resources at heart making decisions — not a bunch of out-of-staters who probably don’t know the difference between Marquette and Muskegon.
Our Views reflects the majority opinion of the members of the Grand Haven Tribune editorial board: Kevin Hook, Cheryl Welch, Matt DeYoung, Alex Doty and Fred VandenBrand. What do you think? E-mail us a letter to the editor to [email protected] or log-in to our website and leave a comment below.