Wildlife ordinance will not infringe on property rights

Published 1:30 am Sunday, June 7, 2026

I read Susan Wingate’s letter in the June 1 SanJuanJournal.com. I share her love of the island’s wildlife and her concern for property rights.

The ordinance, however, will not infringe on property rights. It will protect the wildlife she loves.

Residents will still be able to place bird feeders in their yards. They will still be able to enjoy watching deer graze on their landscaping and munch on crops and plant matter that has fallen from trees or shrubs. They will still be able to place a water source on their property for wildlife.

What the ordinance will do is ban the feeding, luring and baiting of wild animals that increases the chance of disease transmission to people, pets and other wildlife. It will ban the feeding that creates a dependency on unhealthy food sources and negatively impacts a young animal’s ability to learn to hunt on its own. It will ban the feeding, luring and baiting of wild animals that puts them in harm’s way as they cross the road in search of a handout.

My vehicle has been surrounded by foxes looking for a handout. I have seen dead foxes in the roadway. I’ve picked one up from the middle of the road and buried it. I know — as do many volunteers and wildlife advocates — what the cost will continue to be if the ordinance is not approved.

This ordinance will encourage all those who love our wildlife to keep their distance and enjoy wild animals in their habitat. That’s something I believe all of us can support.

Richard A. Walker

Cape San Juan