New York, NY —

New Jersey environmental and animal rights groups are criticizing the state's decision to hold a black bear hunt next month in the northeastern part of the state, the second bear hunt in 35 years. WNYC's Amy Eddings has more.

REPORTER: The Sierra Club says the six day hunt to start December 5th will do nothing to get rid of nuisance bears, while the Bear Education and Resource Group says the problem isn't the bears, it's that people don't follow guidelines to keep them away.

Environmental Commissioner Bradley Campbell himself blocked last year's hunt, and took the state's game council to court.

CAMPBELL: What has changed is that we've seen the number of incidents, which went down after the 2003 hunt, then started going up again.

REPORTER: The plan's goal is to reduce, and then sustain, the bear population at 2002 levels, and it allows the hunt to be suspended if too many bears are killed. It also calls for more public education, and a study of bear contraceptives.