On July 29 the public will have a chance to have its voice heard about a National Park Service proposed management plan for moose and wolves on Isle Royale. An open house will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Grand Portage National Monument Visitors Center.
The National Park Service recently published a notice in the Federal Register that announced that the agency is preparing a Moose-Wolf-Vegetation Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Isle Royale National Park. The plan will be used for the next 20 years to provide direction for the management of the Island’s moose and wolf population.
Isle Royale Superintendent Phyllis Green is encouraging the public to visit the plan’s web page parkplanning.nps.gov/ ISROmoosewolf, to learn more about it and to give written comments.
“I have received a wide range of comments from folks interested in this issue and the range of preliminary alternative concepts reflect the broad opinions that have been expressed to me,” said Green. “I look forward to reading your comments once they are submitted through our formal process.”
The meeting at Grand Portage is just one of four the NPS is holding. The others are scheduled for June 27 in Houghton, Michigan; at Isle Royale National Park at the Rock Harbor Auditorium on July 28; and the last meeting will again be held on the island at the Windigo Visitor Center on July 30.
All of the open houses will run under the same format. There will be a brief presentation followed by an open period when the NPS staff will be available to answer questions. Attendees will be able to submit written comments at the meetings and all of those who can’t attend can send comments in online or by mailing or hand delivering comments to the park.
The NPS is looking at a variety of alternatives for the management of moose, wolves and vegetation at Isle Royale. The moose-wolf-vegetation food web is tightly coupled. Currently there are an estimated 1,250 moose on the island and only three wolves, and one of those is a pup. Green said given that the wolf population is so low and their very long-term survival is in question, the moose population is likely to increase in the short term (5 to 10 years), which could result in negative impacts to vegetation and forest cover because of over-browsing.
The public comment period will end August 29, 2015. Following the comment period the NPS will analyze and consider all feedback and begin preparation of a draft/ Environmental Impact Statement, which the public will also have a chance to comment on.
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