|
North Dakota Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand has sent a letter to the National Park Service explaining how his agency would like to see certified volunteers used to reduce the elk population within Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
In a letter sent Sept. 12 to NPS Director Mary Bomar, Steinwand defines a certified volunteer as someone who has passed an approved hunter education course, is legally eligible to obtain the necessary North Dakota license or permit to take or possess big game, and participates in a specialized training course designed by TRNP and North Dakota Game and Fish personnel. Once approved, a certified volunteer could receive a permit to remove an elk from the park.
Certified volunteers would remove elk by using high-powered rifles from November through February, a time that coincides with state hunting seasons outside the park, and a time when park visitation is low. Certified volunteers would remove the carcasses as per NPS policy, process the meat themselves and either keep it or donate it to a food pantry.
Once the initial elk population goal for the park is achieved, volunteers would also participate in additional removal action as needed to maintain the desired elk population.
The Game and Fish Department is adamant that the park service's development of an Environmental Impact Statement include using certified volunteers as an alternative for reducing elk numbers within the park's south unit.
The EIS is scheduled for public presentation in December.
|
