Humboldt Elk Plan Debate

            When dealing with public lands there will always different ideas about what is the best use for public lands. The Humboldt County Elk Management Plan as stated by the Board of Wildlife Commissioners is a plan to establish and manage elk herds in Humboldt county in a manner that minimizes conflict and maximizes cooperation with existing livestock management, private lands, and other wildlife.  The debates between ranchers and state officials over the use of land have been a constant debate. This doesn’t mean that any side is necessarily wrong or that either side is necessarily better, but people will support whatever they feel serves their own interests and what they think is better for the common good.

        Farmers and ranchers have concerns that larger elk populations will have a negative impact on their livelihood. This is argued with several different reasoning’s including Elk grazing on their fields and consuming product. Another concern is that a ranchers AUM’s will be decreased by the increased elk population. AUM’s stand for animal unit month, which is defined as the amount of forage needed to feed a thousand pound cow that has a calf. AUM’s are a big deal to ranchers since they decide how long rancher can keep a certain amount of cattle on BLM land for an allotted of time. With AUM’s being so important ranchers place high value on them the question that ranchers have is if the new elk populations will reduce their AUM’s. The answer is yes AUM’s will be reduced to preserve grasses for wildlife and to prevent excess erosion.

            On the other side of the argument is the state and others who promote elk expansion. This includes hunters and conservationist who support elk expansion for separate reasons. Hunters tend to support the Humboldt elk plan for an increase in future elk populations which can then be hunted for sport and appreciated for their aesthetic beauty. The aesthetic appreciation is also part of the reasoning for conservationist’s interest in elk expansion. The state see’s all these benefits and also sees a chance to get elk back into old territory that used to have greater populations of elk.

            Both sides of the debate about the Humboldt County Elk Plan have legitimate reasons for what they support. Whether to say that ranchers and farmers and their concerns about their income and the effects of reduced AUM’s and produce, or the state and the conservationist who want to promote a larger population of elk for aesthetic purposes and for future hunting. What is certain however is that cooperation between the two sides can lead to better resolutions that can be more beneficial all sides.