[Alaska444]

Idaho senators are sponsoring legislation to amend the endangered species act that got an Idaho resident in hot water after defending his family from three large grizzlies in his yard. This is good news if passed to return common sense to the discussion of hunter safety and property owners while in grizzly country. Firearms are one of the best defenses against a grizzly attack as well as pepper spray. Many choose the firearm over the pepper spray especially with multiple bears.

“We are introducing focused, common-sense ESA reforms limited to dangerous grizzly bear encounters to ensure that this unfortunate situation depriving an individual of his or her rights never happens again,” Crapo said. “Like Mr. Hill, all Americans need to know that they can protect themselves and their families when confronted with a seemingly imminent grizzly attack. Passage of this legislation will send that message, loud and clear.”

“Everyone who followed Mr. Hill’s case understood that he was not hunting a grizzly bear. He was protecting his family, which he truly believed was in harm’s way,” said Risch. “This legislation will allow an individual to act in self-defense without having to mount a costly defense for their actions, if done appropriately. This is a common-sense change that needs to be passed.”

"Our success with increasing the grizzly population has now collided with the common-sense right of self-defense when encountering these and other predators in the course of normal life,” Labrador said. “This legislation will amend the ESA to ensure that future, unavoidable confrontations between man and beast do not end with the federal government placing the protection of the animal before the safety of people."

The grizzly bear legislation will be referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, of which Crapo is a member; and the House Natural Resources Committee, of which Labrador is a member.

http://crapo.senate.gov/media/newsre....cfm?id=334054