MP3 Audio Nov. 7th Elk Brucellosis local "work group"
meeting that met at the Livingston MSU Extension office.
I turned on the recorder and my folder accidentally
turned it off. Good thing I checked on it, or I would have missed
more. What is missing is the opening introduction by MSU Extension
explaining the clickers that they used to poll the demographics.
The stakeholder groups they listed to chose from were Livestock
Producer, Sportsmen/Wildlife, Agency, Landowner that is not a producer
and Other. There were 9 sportsmen (Bill O'Connell, Glenn Hockett,
Jimmy Wisman, Paul Griffin, myself, Lou Goosey, Hayes Goosey and
some other guy that came in and sat with them ( I am assuming this
is the 9th sportsman). There were 4 agency representatives: Quentin
Kujala, Howard Burt, Karen Loveless and I am not sure of the 4th.
14 livestock (not all of them had clickers at that point and some
ranchers came in late). Sportsmen and wildlife were not supposed
to be lumped together as a stakeholder, so basically no wildlife,
non consumptive advocates and no private landowners that were not
producers were in attendence. Working Group member Rick Gibson's
name was on the list, and Dick Raths was there, though his name
was not on the sign in the 2 times I saw it. FWP Commissioner Dan
Vermillion (Regional Commissioner that authorizes these actions)
was there for the first 3/4's of the meeting. Park County commissioners
Marty Malone and Jim Durgan,
Rep. Alan Redfield (Paradise Valley rancher) was also there. This
local "working group" is basically the local watershed
group, which Druska Kinkie chairs. Sign In Sheet I acquired below.
I missed taping Quentin's opening, which is
the same as it has been on several of these presentations about
the program, but explaining that the goal, which was written on
a large sheet of paper taped to the wall was: "Implementation
of the identified tools from the 2014 proposed work plan in the
Paradise Valley Designated Surveillance Area." Immediately
after his opening Jerry O'Hair, one of the cattle ranchers and the
one that was at the Park County Commission Meeting that spoke about
eradicating brucellosis and the elk population, said that he was
upset because they were only allowed to speak about what FWP presented,
began attacking FWP, stated what he felt the real problems were
- all these other things like brucellosis needing to be eradicated
and the size of the herds, etc. That is the point that I caught
that the recorder was off and you hear Quentins reply to Jerry when
it begins.
During the meeting you hear Druska Kinkie bringing
up the EMR's (elk managment removals, previously referred to as
Dispersal Hunts in the 2013 Work Plan); Durgan complains about wolves
and elk numbers never seen before, at which point Rep. Alan Redfield brings
up grizzlies and mountain lions; Ryan Malone (Park Co. Commissioner Marty Malone's son) was concerned
with the 250 quota the Work Plan stated; Hayes Goosey asked if research/science
could be brought into this discussion; Marty Malone brought up the
Forests and fires versus logging, reseeding of grasses; Dick Raths
mentioned the Statewide Elk Brucellosis Working Group , Proposed Recommendations; Hayes Goosey tries to get them back
to the goal; Druska again brings up the lethal aspects, priority
that needs implementing; Rep. Alan Redfield speaks about elk problems; towards
the end of the meeting, an agenda for the next meeting was brought
up to ID herds where commingling is occurring, map to mark it on;
Druska Kinkie brought up email and phone conversation trees and the need
to get the commissioners to make changes.
The majority of the people attending had not
even read the 2014 Work Plan and yet they objected to it and are
already seeking how they can get it changed from the Statewide Brucellosis
Working Groups Proposed Recommendations that were approved by the
commission, not like it was actually followed anyway, but clearly
it is not lethal enough for them in Park County and they want depopulation, as well as other tools added back in, which a number
of these Park Co. ranchers have adamantly vocalized at other meetings, in the
press, as well as Rep. Alan Redfields HB 312 Elk Brucellosis Test
and Slaughter Bill. He also started to put through a LC2040 which
would have removed the landowners requirement of allowing public
hunter access during the general season for FWP actions involving
Game Damage, which they can now do under this Elk Work Plan in the
DSA without any requirement of public hunter access, while sportsmens
dollars pay for all these actions. This placeholder bill would have
also allowed for disease threat to be added as a game damage definition. https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2013/billpdf/LC2040.pdf
This is what is going to be driving the Elk
Brucellosis management in Park County.
On the 14th of Nov., I emailed Quentin Kujala
to request a copy of the sign in sheet of those attending the meeting.
He replied back that he did not have it, assumed someone from the watershed group did.
Email
exchange on request for Sign In Sheet
Sign
In Sheet for Nov. 7, 2013 FWP Elk Brucellosis Management Meeting |