[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1225-E1226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE LIMITING INHUMANE FEDERAL TRAPPING (LIFT) FOR 
                           PUBLIC SAFETY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2016

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
severely restrict the use of inhumane body-gripping traps on certain 
public lands and by certain public officials. Countless dogs, cats, and 
wild animals are injured and killed each year in body-gripping traps 
such as leg and foothold, Conibear, and snare traps. These traps are 
used by federal agencies, state and local governments, private 
entities, and individual trappers to catch creatures for their fur, 
keep animals away from livestock and crops, and even for recreational 
purposes. Unfortunately, body-gripping traps subject captured animals 
to intense pain--sometimes for hours or even days--before they may 
eventually die from dehydration, injuries, predation, or when a trapper 
eventually finds them. Furthermore, these traps are non-selective in 
their victims, and

[[Page E1226]]

may capture and even kill non-target species such as pets and other 
companion animals, particularly if set in popular areas. There are many 
effective non-lethal methods that can be deployed in place of these 
cruel traps.
  Wildlife Services, a federal agency notorious for its secrecy and use 
of inhumane animal management techniques, is responsible for the death 
or capture of thousands of animals per year in cruel body-gripping 
traps, often used as a first resort. Wildlife Services also advises and 
enters into contracts and cooperative agreements with state and local 
governments, as well as with private entities, to kill animals using 
these traps. Other federal agencies, too, use body-gripping traps to 
control animal species--too often without attempting more humane, 
effective, and non-lethal control options first. This bill will 
severely limit Wildlife Services' and other agencies' ability to deploy 
or counsel others to deploy cruel body-gripping traps, increasing 
transparency for this agency and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are 
prioritized for nonlethal methods of control.
  Although trapping is regulated at the state level, federal land 
management agencies have oversight of where and when trapping occurs on 
federal land. Unfortunately, federal agencies have limited data showing 
where traps are deployed on public lands, thereby prolonging the 
suffering of trapped animals and leaving the public to learn about 
traps only when pets and humans are injured. The bill tackles this 
issue as well, making sure that federal agencies in the Departments of 
Agriculture and Interior do a better job of regulating trapping by non-
federal entities on public lands, thereby limiting cruelty and 
protecting public safety.
  In Oregon and across the country, there have been too many concerning 
examples of wild animals suffering and pets falling victim to these 
traps. This bill complements efforts by other colleagues in the House 
and Senate to crack down on the use of body-gripping traps, in light of 
the growing public acknowledgement that we should not and cannot 
continue to endorse the widespread use of these inhumane devices.

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