Florida Is 'Going On A Bear Hunt'

Stories about people and forest animals bumping heads are constantly popping up in the news. It’s a problem that is found all over the country. In Florida, it has been the black bear, as recently an 89-year-old man and his small dog were killed by a Florida black bear. This is the first known death caused by a Florida black bear in Florida history. This has triggered calls for a bear hunt to reduce the number of black bears.

Conflicts with animals are found all over the United States. Whether it's grizzly bears in the northwest, mountain lions out west, or deer in the northeast eating some little old lady’s flowers, in almost every case, the animals will lose. The root cause has been the expansion of the human population into the woodlands, destroying the animal habitat. The reason for this expansion falls at the feet of state legislatures, county and city councils, and their zoning boards. In almost every case, you will find these ruling bodies are populated with people who are heavily involved in real estate and property development. 

In way too many cases, a property was donated for a specific purpose, such as a woodland preserve from a benefactor’s will. The property will sit for a couple of years, then suddenly it is quickly converted into property for development, and an apartment building is under construction. 

This is a massive conflict of interest, and in almost every case, these people are profiting from their positions. Wetlands and forest preserves that have been set aside for a wildlife habitat, suddenly change into areas for development, resulting in an uproar by the people who helped create the wildlife sanctuaries. People will appear before the ruling boards, only to be ignored by the smug and arrogant board members. If there was ever a group that should be barred from public service, it’s those involved in real estate, building, and property development.