Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Condemns Park Goat Plan

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has condemned the National Park Service’s planned use of aerial gunning to remove mountain goats in Grand Teton National Park.
At their January 15th meeting, the commission unanimously passed a resolution calling for the National Park Service to immediately cancel plans to kill the goats through aerial gunning and instead implement a plan allowing the goats to be removed by skilled volunteers.
Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik stated, “While we recognize Grand Teton National Park’s efforts to address the expansion of mountain goats in native bighorn sheep ranges, the department has been consistent in voicing our concerns about the use of aerial lethal (methods of) removal.”
The GTNP Mountain Goat Management Plan outlined a variety of methods to address the expansion of mountain goats in the Teton Range since the mountain goats pose a risk of disease transmission to the core native Targhee bighorn sheep herd.
 
 
photo:NPS

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