Agency proposes bear bait ban for Alaska national preserves

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The National Park Service is proposing a rule that would prohibit bear baiting in national preserves in Alaska.  A park service spokesperson said Friday that the agency is pursuing the new proposal “due to legal and policy concerns” around bear baiting. A federal judge in September found problems with a 2020 Trump-era rule that lifted restrictions previously in place on sport hunting and trapping in national preserves in Alaska, including bear baiting. But she did not set the rule aside and noted the park service had indicated it was already in the process of reassessing the rule. The matter was sent back to the agency. Appeals in the case are pending.