8/24/11 DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH

DON'T HOLD OUR BREATH

Wednesday, 9:00 AM.  64 degrees, wind WSW, moderate with very strong gusts.  The sky is absolutely cloudless but the barometer predicts rain, which we received 1/4” of yesterday afternoon in a short, violent squall. 
    Well folks, the bear trap was removed yesterday morning, and the bear returned last night.  I have come to several conclusions regarding this little episode: 1) bears smart; 2) this bear has probably been trapped before and is not likely to be trapped again; 3) the whole bear damage and nuisance program is probably ineffective and a waste of time and money if it operates like this; 4) the situation is not likely to change soon.
    The last comment is based on what I could find out with a couple of hour's web search and reading on how the program was established and how it works (Black Brear Nuisance and Damage Management in Wisconsin). The current protocal is 44 pages long (that’s one document, there is probably more informations out there if one spent more time looking). It covers almost innumerable topics and concerns about bears, including the attitude of the public at large concerning a bear in my (or your) garbage can, cultural attitudes towards bears, bears in mythology etc.Trapping a bear should not have the complexity of a mission to Mars.  There are four federal agencies and two state agencies directly directly responsible for this program; the document I read contains 33 acronyms of agencies and other entities consulted or involved; and, most important of all, the bear in our yard is managed by the federal government in Washington, DC through the federal Wildlife Service of the Department of Agriculture.  Why the federal government and its lawyers should give one hoot about a bear in someone’s garbage can in Wisconsin or any other state is far beyond my limited comprehension.
     My friends, the possibility of any efficiency or efficacy of programs with such complicated chains of command and overlapping responsibilities is nil, and our governments at every level are rife with them. 
    The heroes of the coming political cycles will be those administrators and politicians who examine agencies, departments and programs and act to change their direction and nature so that  they actually accomplish stated goals at reasonable cost.  Don't holding your breath.