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Posted by Ballpark Frank (69.178.8.75) on 11:24:46 08/14/15
In Reply to: Lest we judge... posted by 46er
46er,
Thanks for posting this link. This is a very thoughtful analysis of the constant conflict in Yellowstone and other national parks, regarding the "dual mandate" inherent in the charge issued by Congress. It is written for all to see on the Roosevelt Arch. Simply put, "enjoyment" means you provide for today's humans. "Benefit" implies you conserve the resource for the enjoyment of future humans. Partisans on either side of the issue can parse what these words really mean, but our national parks are managed with the aim of satisfying the often-conflicting goals inherent in the dual mandate.
I have to say that I did not read anything in this learned essay that I disagree with. Yes, Blaze was a fan favorite, and historically, a very well-behaved bear. Crosby may have simply been out jogging, thus not carrying pepper spray. (That is something I would NEVER do, having been face to face with an enraged grizzly, and been spared injury by virtue of using pepper spray.) Who knows how many injured or ill humans were aided by this MedCor employee over his five seasons?
So, we have people being very vocal on both sides of the issues surrounding this unfortunate incident. As expected, there is the typical hue and cry for some sort of change in the rules. I am not buying it!! In my time in Yellowstone, I have witnessed a number of animals acting totally out of character, likely due to some sort of disease or injury. I've talked about it on these pages. In my mind, it raised the possibility that I could encounter that 1 in a 1,000 or 1 in a million diseased large mammal some day in the backcountry. It might be a bear, but it could be a bison or a moose, either of which is plenty capable of killing me. I walk the backcountry with the understanding that there are inherent risks. I take all sensible precautions. Now, "sensible" is what makes sense to me. That means following the current protocols for human behavior in grizzly country, and I ALWAYS carry pepper spray. My mother might have a totally different interpretation of what "sensible" means in this scenario.
I absolutely agree with Bear Management's decision to take out Blaze. Once a bear has exhibited predatory behavior toward humans, they have to be removed from the population! Sure, one could argue that she should have been removed to a zoo or some other refuge. I'm not current on the availability of space for an older adult female grizzly. I do know this. If Blaze were set free in Yellowstone, and she wandered into an occupied campsite in a campground, and preyed on a family with kids, can you imagine the uproar! I sure as heck can, and I am in total agreement with what the NPS did in this case.
Ballpark
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