Take Action Today! New Jersey sportsmen should contact their state senator and ask them to vote NO on Senate Bill 179. Let your senator know trapping is essential to maintaining a healthy environment. New Jersey members can contact their state senator by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.
New Jersey Senate Bill 179, sponsored by Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11), would ban the manufacturing, sale, possession, importation, transportation or use of a spring-loaded foothold or body-gripping trap. Effectively, making it illegal to trap by traditional methods in the state. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee where it is waiting to receive testimony.
Under current law, foothold and water-set body gripping traps are permitted in New Jersey. More importantly, like many other states, New Jersey relies on trappers to help manage furbearer populations to maintain a balance that protects other wildlife, including song and gamebirds. Trapping is a proven method in ensuring unwanted furbearing animals do not spread to populated urban areas of the state and cause damage. Trapping is also an effective method preventing diseases such as rabies. Additionally, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife also benefits from the revenue trappers pay for their trapping licenses. The dollars raised from these licenses go to the conservation management of New Jersey’s wildlife.
“Trapping is an essential component in any state’s management plan and should be allowed to continue in New Jersey,” said Luke Houghton, associate director of state services. “Without trapping, many furbearer species are capable of spreading harmful diseases and can be a major nuisance to people.”
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.