Environment & Climate
Trump administration rule allows bear baiting with human foods on Alaska federal lands
The Guardian reports the rule, taking effect in mid-November, replaces a 2024 ban on baiting bears on federal Alaska lands.
The short version
- The Guardian reports a new Trump administration rule allows hunters to bait bears on federal Alaska lands with human foods.[The Guardian]
- The rule replaces a 2024 Biden administration ban on the practice and takes effect in mid-November.[The Guardian]
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the rule responds to demands from Alaska residents.[The Guardian]
- Opponents say baiting could make bears more aggressive around people, and the rule's critics dispute its justification.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- A new Trump administration rule allows hunters to bait bears on federal lands in Alaska with human foods such as bacon and doughnuts.[The Guardian]
- The rule replaces a 2024 Biden administration rule that banned bear baiting.[The Guardian]
- The US Interior Department published the rule in the Federal Register on Friday, and it takes effect in mid-November.[The Guardian]
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated in a press release that the rule was developed in response to demands from Alaska residents.[The Guardian]
- The rule followed an executive order issued early in Donald Trump's second administration, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Opponents say baiting will make bears more aggressive around humans; this claim is disputed and not independently verified in the available reporting.[The Guardian]
- The available reporting does not say whether the rule will be challenged in court or how it will be implemented before mid-November.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.