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Please see paragraph 2 below.
It clearly refers to a human mortality,
not a bear mortality, putting the lie to the
statement in paragraph five or your “Commissioner
Irked” article.
And it is also true that the “proper enforcement
person with Fish and Game” -- that is, the
officer who responded and wrote up the report on
the incident -- (see paragraph 4 in the
commissioner's letter below) made no
recommendation to prosecute or not to prosecute
Hill, putting the lie to Ron Smith’s, or your,
suggestion in your paragraph five.
August 22, 2011
Senator Jim Risch
610 Hubbard,
Suite #213
Coeur d’ Alene, ID 83814
Dear Senator Risch:
Boundary
County,
through efforts of all of our partners and the
efforts of our local collaborative, Kootenai
Valley Resource Initiative, has assisted and
promoted the recovery of Grizzly Bears in the
Selkirk recovery zones for many years. We have
one goal in mind, which is to see the population
increase to a point the species is recovered. In
doing so, it will ease the restrictions on our
National Forest and help our community
economically.
The efforts of educating the community regarding
bears have shown that the last human mortality
in the Selkirk recovery zone in the
United States
and in
Boundary
County
occurred in year 2004. That is a remarkable
achievement.
We
recently had a bear killed by a local resident,
Jeremy Hill. The shooting occurred approximately
five miles outside of the recovery zone and
adjacent to
State Highway
#1.
Mr. Hill was defending his family when the
incident occurred and he quickly contacted the
proper enforcement person with the Idaho
Department of Fish and Game, from which a
recommendation was made not to prosecute.
Mr. Hill has lived here most of his life and is
an honest, upright, and productive member of
this community. Jeremy has been charged by the
U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife in Federal
Court. We feel that at all costs, this man has
the obligation and responsibility to protect his
children. This is not some flagrant or malicious
act. We urge you to do all that is in your power
to have this matter settled. We must assist and
protect the ability of the average citizen to
protect his family when they are in danger.
The press has stated that the animal was just
crossing his property. In fact it was a female
with two sub-adult cubs. Three Grizzly Bears in
a yard with your children is at the very least a
dangerous situation and the children must be
protected at all costs.
Respectfully,
Ronald R. Smith
Dan R. Dinning
Walt Kirby
Chairman
Commissioner
Commissioner
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