The National Park Service finalized a controversial rule allowing trophy hunters to use food bait to lure and kill black and brown bears in Alaska, reversing wildlife protections restored in 2024.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 16, 2026)—The Trump administration today finalized a U.S. National Park Service rule that reverses critical wildlife protections for bears and once again allows the cruel practice of bear baiting on Alaska’s national preserves. The rule gives trophy hunters the legal authority to lure black and brown bears with human food, including donuts, bacon grease and other bait—some of which are toxic and deadly to wildlife, before shooting them at close range.

Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, issued the following statements on this harmful government rulemaking.

Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund, said:

“This rulemaking is a stark reminder that wildlife protections can be erased with the stroke of a pen when politics overrides science. There is nothing sporting about luring hungry bears with pastries, bacon grease and other human food before shooting them. In fact, it makes bears lose their natural fear of people, puts visitors at greater risk and ultimately leads to more bears dying. Ignoring that evidence to satisfy a small trophy hunting lobby isn’t wildlife management, it’s cronyism. If a federal agency can so easily discard such factual evidence, it puts countless other wildlife protections at risk and underscores why Congress and the courts remain essential checks against this kind of regulatory whiplash.”

Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals, said:

“Baiting bears with piles of donuts, meat scraps and dog food to lure them into shooting range and gun them down is indefensible and inexcusable as a federal policy decision. It doesn’t just put bears at risk, it teaches them to associate people with food, increasing the likelihood of dangerous encounters with hikers, campers and visitors enjoying Alaska’s public lands. For more than a decade, we’ve fought, and repeatedly prevailed, in the courts to stop this cruelty. The law, science and public sentiment support protecting the magnificent bears of Alaska’s national preserves. The Trump administration may have finalized this rule today, but this fight is far from over. We are evaluating legal options to challenge the rule in federal court.”

The final rule ignores the government’s own scientific findings, including a 2024 peer-reviewed study by National Park Service and external biologists which concluded that bears defending bait sites pose a “moderate to high” risk of causing injury or death to park visitors. It also runs counter to public opinion, including a 2023 poll which found that 75% of Alaskans oppose bear baiting.

Timeline:  Bear-baiting policies on Alaska national preserves

Media Contact: