For years, populations of Sitka black-tail deer on Prince of Wales Island have slumped, leaving residents without a staple source of protein. A three-day summit held in Craig last month prompted lengthy discussions about the problem.
Participants in the three-day unit II deer summit walk around Harris River to view thinning techniques on Oct. 15. .
On a Saturday afternoon, and 30-odd biologists, residents and local leaders walked along the looping Harris River trail, 20 or so miles east of Craig, the biggest town on Prince of Wales Island. The Harris River walk capped the summit. It was meant to drive home the theories presented for why the island’s deer population is plummeting – such as poor habitat management and a legacy of clear-cut logging.
Mike Sheets, from the U.S. Forest Service, explained on the walk that half the trail has been thinned in various ways. Some stands were cut in a kind of herringbone pattern, while others were thinned near the top or the bottom. This was all done to try and encourage more foraging opportunities and open up travel corridors for deer.
“We need to write prescriptions for stem exclusion phase young growth that will remain wind firm and create meaningful, accessible forage for the near future. We need to develop these prescriptions knowing that multiple entries may be needed through time to continue creating forage. We need to have a market for the logs produced by these prescriptions and plan for utilization of the biomass created to allow access through the stands,” read a slide from Baichtal’s presentation at the summit.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
It's High Time for a Prince of Wales CocktailThe Prince of Wales cocktail, a drink with a storied namesake that combines rye whiskey, pineapple and Champagne, is ripe for experimentation (via punch_drink)
Read more »
Prince William Learns About the Concept of “Netflix and Chill”Prince William may have just learned about the concept of 'Netflix and chill,' but he's ready to partake in his first-ever session.
Read more »
Prince William and Prince Harry Were 'Literally Best Friends' Before 'Fallout,' Former Royal Butler SaysIris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
Read more »
Preliminary announcement of a month-long wolf harvest sparks outcry from trappers“We are the only God dang state that promotes predator populations instead of freaking controlling them,” said Sam Sawyer, among several Prince of Wales Island trappers attacking a planned 31-day wolf season as too short.
Read more »
Pumpkin Car Mayhem on Long Island Terrifies Couple Years After Turkey TossA terrifying Halloween prank on Long Island could have had deadly consequences, after a pumpkin was thrown out of a moving vehicle and smashed into the windshield of another car going the opposite direction.
Read more »