Once again, the state has given funding to a moose rescue and relocation program aimed at relocating moose, despite the fact that the group received $1.3 million and never moved a single moose last year.

The plan of the federation is to move hundreds of moose this coming winter from urban areas taking them to remote rural and village areas where populations are lower. One such location cited is the Copper River Delta.

Gary Olson, the executive director of the Alaska Moose Federation cited problems with training schedules for the personnel at the Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services for the delay in moving moose last winter. The permit granted to the federation expired before training could begin.

With this new injection of $1.5 million, Olson says the program can now be extended out to five years with 50 to 100 moose moved next winter.

This last winter, in lieu of transporting moose from the South Central area, moose were lured to feeding stations stocked with hay, to keep them off of the road system. Because of the large snowfall in South Central this past winter, moose congregated in areas such as roadways to escape the deeper snow.

The Federation also expanded its program to perform moose removal from moose collision incidences this past winter. The program worked well, cutting down the response time and removal process by as much as 2.5 hours. Their truck winching system reduced hazardous contact for charities and other civilians, that in many cases, had to butcher the slain animals directly along the road because of lack of transportation vehicles. Many times, what would have normally taken hours, was completed in 15 to 20 minutes.