Delta Bison Management Plan Public Meeting

[VernAK]

A public meeting concerning the Delta Bison Management Plan will be held in Fairbanks April 21st. I will post time and location as it becomes available.

[VernAK]

Delta Bison Public Meeting

Thursday April 21st @ 7 pm

Alpine Lodge on Dale Road in Fairbanks


ADF&G staff will present information on the proposed update of the
Delta Bison Management Plan and accept public comments.

This is primarily about Bison Vs. Farmer.

[Rock_skipper]

What Info do you have on the topics Vern?

Which way are they leaning? ( if you have some insight on this)

[VernAK]

After 18 months of meetings, I was quite dosappointed in the final recommendation. The Delta Bison Working Group concluded that fencing was the answer to the bison in the crops situation.

Three fencing proposals were considered;
1. Fence individual farms
2. Fence the Panoramic Field in the Bison Range and capture the herd as they return from Donnelly. The herd would be held in Panoramic until barley harvest was complete and then released. This requires legislative action to change status of "free roaming herd"
3.Completely fence [nearly 150 miles of 8ft fence] all the Ag areas including Tanana Loop area with cattle guards on every road access.

Number 3 won out as first choice. Amazing huh?

I sat through most of the meetings and came away very disgruntled with the entire process. It was evident that there were several hidden agendas and a lot of smoke and mirrors coupled with impassioned drama displays that would make most wretch.

There appears to only be a handful of farmers involved. Other farmers accept the bison as part of Alaska farming while other farmers are embarrassed by the notoriety.

I hope to make the Fairbanks meeting and I hope others can find the time to attend also.

[AlpineEarl]

I'm surprised it was not choice #2 considering the way things have been going. Thanks for the updates and info Vern.

[squab]

Thanks for this information Vern, but i have to ask: how much of the public has ever shown up to these meetings?

[VernAK]

Most folks would have thought option 1 or 2 would be the natural choice but as I said there are hidden agendas involved. Option number 3 has the least chance of being accepted by the public and Legislature and that's why it was selected....IMO.

You are correct Squab....very little public involvement....it's easier to whine afterward.

[skip olsen]

Hi There Vern I Have Got Back On The Fairbanks Advisory Board And Will Be At That Meeting . Where Is Option 4 Where If The Farmers Don't Want The Bison On There Feilds They Put Up There Own Fence At There Own Expense The Bison Were There First . Skip

[VernAK]

Skip.

That's Option 1.......Fence Individual Farms......

This makes the most sense for the farmer and the wildlife, especially if there were some financial help provided........but then there are the hidden agendas and that is why the most rediculous option was chosen.

[VernAK]

The meeting is this Thursday evening......I hope there is a good turnout!

Finally, the Fairbanks News Miner has picked up on the issue.

[squab]

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story...ce=alaska_news

Fencing is one of the topics that will be discussed Thursday during a public meeting sponsored by the Department of Fish and Game to discuss an update of the Delta Bison Management Plan. The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the Alpine Lodge.

The department is also proposing to reduce the size of the herd in an attempt to reduce crop damage. The department’s management objective is 360 bison before spring calving, and the state is proposing a new objective of 275 to 325 pre-calving. The herd currently numbers about 340 animals.

The purpose of Thursday’s meeting is to get feedback on the proposals and future management, state wildlife planner Randy Rogers with the Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks said.

“We expect we will get quite a lot of public comment,” he said



Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Delta Junction farmers call for multimillion dollar bison fence

No mention of the land status complaint. Or that Even though the entire issue(as put by the farmers) is about seed potatoes for Korea, or that they let them rot in the field last year.

So much for the Billion dollar a year industry.