Maine’s program for feeding and breeding bears is a tragedy waiting to happen. It should come as no surprise that several bears have been roaming around downtown Rangeley, “wreaking havoc, hanging around the ice cream shop and getting into people’s garbage.”

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife endorses the feeding of tons of food to thousands of bears at thousands of bait sites across Maine. That increases the likelihood of disease transmission among wildlife, trains bears to eat human food and causes increased cub production. In fact, Maine’s bear population has increased 23 percent since 1990. Bear range has expanded to nearly the entire state since bear baiting has become so widespread.

It is time to stop this feeding and breeding program. Fisheries and Wildlife officials need to start basing bear management on science, rather than on the almighty dollar.

John M. Glowa Sr., South China