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The National Park Service is considering a dangerous rule that would allow bear baiting in Alaska's national preserves, reopening the door to a practice that is cruel, reckless, and fundamentally at odds with wildlife protection. Tell the agency that bear baiting has no place in Alaska's wild lands!

Bear baiting involves dumping piles of food (often processed foods, grease, or animal remains) to lure bears into close range so they can be easily shot. This is not only inhumane, but it also directly contradicts the most basic rule of bear safety: to never feed bears.

Bears are intelligent animals who learn from their mothers to avoid humans, but baiting overrides that instinct, drawing them in with powerful food scents they can detect from miles away. When bears become accustomed to human food, they lose their natural wariness of people, which increases the risk of human-bear conflicts and, sadly, often leads to bears being labeled as a threat and killed.

The timing makes this especially harmful. In the fall, bears enter a natural state called hyperphagia, an intense biological drive to eat as much as possible to survive the winter. During this period, bears will go to extraordinary lengths to find food. Exploiting this instinct by baiting them is not “fair chase,” it's taking advantage of an animal's most urgent survival need.

This proposal also goes against the core mission of the National Park Service, which is to protect wildlife and preserve natural ecosystems for future generations. National preserves should not be places where animals are manipulated and killed through artificial means that disrupt their natural behavior.

Even more troubling, the National Park Service is moving forward despite major gaps in evidence. The agency admits it does not track how many bears are killed over bait in these areas and relies on assumptions that the impact will be minimal, while acknowledging that baiting regulations are often not followed.

Allowing bear baiting on public lands prioritizes convenience over ethics and exploitation over conservation. Tell the National Park Service to reject this proposal and keep bear baiting out of Alaska's wild spaces.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Comment on RIN 1024-AE96

I am writing to oppose the reinstatement of bear baiting in Alaska’s national preserves within the National Park Service’s proposed rule RIN 1024-AE96.

Bear baiting, or placing piles of food to lure bears into close range, directly undermines widely accepted principles of bear safety and ecosystem management. Across public lands, visitors are consistently instructed to never feed bears because doing so conditions them to associate humans with food. Reintroducing baiting on National Park Service lands contradicts this fundamental standard and increases the likelihood of human–bear conflicts.

When bears become habituated to human food sources, they are more likely to approach campsites, roads, and communities, creating safety risks for visitors and residents alike. These situations frequently result in bears being lethally removed. As such, baiting does not just affect individual animals. It contributes to broader management problems and public safety concerns that the National Park Service is tasked with preventing.

The ecological implications are also significant. In the fall, bears enter hyperphagia, a natural period of intense feeding necessary for winter survival. Introducing artificial food sources during this time alters natural foraging behavior, concentrates wildlife in unnatural ways, and can disrupt ecosystem dynamics. Bait sites may also attract non-target species, increasing the risk of disease transmission and further ecological imbalance.

Allowing this practice is inconsistent with the National Park Service’s core mission under the Organic Act to conserve wildlife and natural systems “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” National preserves are not intended to facilitate practices that manipulate wildlife behavior or increase risk to ecological integrity and visitor safety.

Additionally, the proposed rule appears to move forward despite significant data gaps. The National Park Service has acknowledged that it does not maintain comprehensive data on the number of bears taken over bait in these areas and relies on assumptions that impacts will be minimal. At the same time, there is evidence that baiting regulations are not consistently followed, raising further concerns about oversight and enforcement.

There are also economic considerations. Bears are a cornerstone of Alaska’s wildlife tourism industry, drawing visitors from around the world for viewing and photography opportunities. Wildlife viewing contributes significantly to local economies and supports sustainable, non-consumptive uses of public lands. Policies that increase bear mortality and human–bear conflicts risk undermining this long-term economic value.

For these reasons, I urge the National Park Service to reject this proposal and maintain the prohibition on bear baiting in Alaska’s national preserves.

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.