The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has been working for many years to reintroduce Wood Bison in Alaska. Dick, R-Stony River, said the introduction of an endangered species into the wild brings with it significant restrictions on resource development on hundreds of thousands of acres of Interior Alaska and felony charges if they are harmed or hunted.
“With the addition of just one animal to the list, the Polar Bear, our state has already had more land ‘locked up’ than all the land granted to us by the Federal Government at the time of statehood,” Dick said. “The only way to safely release Wood Bison into the wild, turn them over to the control of ADF&G, and not have to worry about strings – is for them to be exempted from the Endangered Species List.”
Lower 48 states have recently made attempts to remove Grey Wolves from the endangered list by going through the court system. After multiple rulings the states took their case to Congress. Congress stepped in and removed the Grey Wolves from the list.
“The bottom line is that the very act that was originally designed to protect and restore animals like the Wood Bison is now the biggest obstacle to their reintroduction,” said Dick.
HJR 32 now moves to the Alaska Senate for consideration.
