Wood bison should be limited to Innoko area

By Aaron Schutt

The December 2014 Resource Review included a piece entitled “Wood bison head home again – for first time in 100 years,” by guest author Lana Johnson, Vice Chair, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) Board. RDC has noted that the views expressed were those of the author, and the article was not intended to represent the views of RDC or its members.

In its March 2013 comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on the proposed reintroduction of wood bison in Alaska, RDC said that while it generally supports the goal of recovering populations of wood bison, it remains concerned that reintroduction could negatively impact economic and recreational activities in the state.

The newsletter article takes the view that, as a result of the special rule issued by the USFWS, the reintroduction of wood bison “will not impede oil and gas development, mining, recreation, hunting, trapping and other land uses.” As RDC stated in its comments, however, “neither the federal government nor the State of Alaska can guarantee that resource development will not be impacted in the future.”

Indeed, it was for this reason that RDC asserted that wood bison should only be reintroduced into areas without significant, developable natural resources, and that any reintroduction at this time should be limited to the lower Innoko/Yukon River location, with specific protections for landowners.

As RDC explained, there is no guarantee that interested parties, in the future, will not decide to petition the USFWS to change the status of the species, potentially triggering the Endangered Species Act’s take prohibitions, designation of critical habitat, and Section 7 consultation requirements. Even with the special rule, there are no assurances that, particularly if circumstances change in the future, the experimental population or associated regulations will not be revised to provide greater protection to the species. And there is no means to eliminate the risk of third party litigation.

It is well-established that the presence of a threatened or endangered species, even if designated as an experimental population, can have a chilling effect on natural resource development projects.

RDC and Doyon recognize AWCC for its committed efforts to prepare the wood bison for reintroduction in Alaska. However, despite the assurances contained in the special rule, there continue to be risks and a potential for adverse impacts on resource development activities and other land uses associated with the reintroduction of the wood bison in Alaska.

Aaron Schutt is President and CEO of Doyon, Limited.

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