DEP PETITIONS SUPREME
COURT TO REVIEW APPELLATE COURT DECISION
(04/134) TRENTON - Today, DEP Commissioner
Bradley Campbell released the following statement concerning
the Appellate Division's ruling on withholding bear hunt
permits.
"I regret that the Appellate Division of the Superior
Court of New Jersey has accepted the view that the Fish
& Game Council is not subject to oversight or review,
even when the Council's decisions on the annual game code
affect wildlife policies beyond recreational hunting.
Given the implications of this policy for wildlife management
and government accountability, the Attorney General will
petition the Supreme Court on behalf of the DEP for a stay
of this decision and for review on the merits.
In the meantime, I am instructing the Division of Fish
and Wildlife to take steps to ensure that the Department
is in a position to comply with the court's mandate if these
steps are unavailing.
I also am committed to strengthen the Department's relationship
with the Council and to advance the interests of New Jersey's
hunters and anglers."
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