Animal rights grinches are putting the New Jersey Fish and Game Council in their crosshairs. If they succeed, hunters in the Garden State must be on high alert.
A bill being deliberated in New Jersey, called AB 6055, would mandate that three of the existing 11 member positions go to animal welfare representatives, despite their track record of opposing science-based wildlife management. This aligns with a new disturbing movement to “reimagine” state wildlife governance, which I’ve frequently written about here at Townhall.
The bill’s text reads like this: “ Under current law, three members are farmers recommended by the State agricultural convention, six members are sportsmen recommended by the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, one member is the chair of the Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee, and one member is an individual who is knowledgeable in land-use management and soil conservation practices. The bill replaces three of the six sportsmen representative seats with three seats for individuals recommended by animal welfare organizations in this State, resulting in three sportsmen representatives and three animal- welfare representatives.”
This isn’t sitting well with conservationists like Republican New Jersey Assemblyman Mike Inganamort, who represents District 24. Inganamort, a co-chair of the Hunting and Angling Conservation Caucus, recently appeared on my podcast, District of Conservation, to discuss the bill’s implications.
Inganamort told me the Council should remain unchanged, calling the existing structure already nicely balanced.
“This bill would take three sportsmen off the Fish and Game Council and replace them with three individuals recommended by animal welfare nonprofit organizations. Well, what does that mean? Take a wild guess,” he said. “These are the organizations that are actively opposing the bear hunt today.”
Governor Phil Murphy, who openly campaigned against the black bear hunt, was forced to reinstate it in fall 2023. The bear hunt season, barring changes to the Fish and Game Council, is scheduled to run through 2028.
The lawmaker, serving as a member of the Assembly Environment Committee, worries that if AB 6055 is voted on and made permanent, it would lead to a future Fish and Game Council voting against a scientifically-supported black bear hunt.
I asked the conservative conservationist about his governor-elect and where she stands on hunting and fishing. He’s not confident about Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill standing up to animal rights activists.
“Governor elect Sherill, over the course of this year's gubernatorial campaign, was comically quiet and silent and evasive on a whole wide array of issues,” Inganamort stated. “I have no reason to be optimistic, particularly given the sorts of folks that she surrounds herself with who tend to be these animal welfare organizations that are diametrically opposed to the bear hunt.”
After a social media post of mine highlighting the bill went viral, chatter about its future circulated back to me. Assembly Inganamort followed up to Townhall.com in an email about AB 6055’s status. He informed me the bill isn’t dead yet and for concerned residents to contact their legislators.
“New Jersey is a sportsmen’s paradise, but that is at risk if we allow ideology to dictate how we manage the outdoors. The health and vitality of our ecosystem hangs in the balance,” he added. “Time is on our side to stop this anti-hunting and anti-fishing bill from moving forward in what’s left of the lame duck session, but we will need to double our efforts next year as an even bigger Democratic majority takes power and extends their 24-year grip on power.”
Despite the uphill battle for sportsmen and women in Trenton, Assemblyman Inganamort remains optimistic that true conservation issues can bring Democrats and Republicans together in his state.
“Hunting and fishing are not partisan issues, so I’ll work with anyone willing to preserve these important outdoor traditions.”
New Jersey isn’t the only state facing attacks on the sporting way of life. Anti-fishing and hunting campaigns, from reimaging wildlife councils to outright banning hunting seasons, could become more common around the U.S. That’s why it’s imperative to pass and enshrine the constitutional right to hunt and fish amendment in all 50 states. New Jersey, sadly, doesn’t have these protections in place. As of this writing, 24 states have adopted these laws to keep wildlife management decisions in the hands of professionals and not animal rights activists who have no proximity to the issue.
Colorado, Washington State, California, New England states, and even Virginia are equally vulnerable to influence from powerful animal rights groups and rewilding organizations.
My fellow sportsmen and women: Don’t let the animal rights grinch ruin your hunting season. Get involved with groups like HOWL for Wildlife to learn how to protect your state’s wildlife council from future attacks.