JACKSON, Wyo. — Wildlife management issues oftentimes put state and federal agencies at odds. This time, it was the feds who stood down over a controversial plan to eradicate mountain goats from Grand Teton National Park by means of professional sharpshooters.
After repeated attempts by Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik to Grand Teton NP officials urging them to hold off on a scheduled mountain goat massacre by aerial gunning went unheeded, it was Governor Mark Gordon’s sternly worded letter sent to acting Grand Teton Park superintendent Gopaul Noojibail that apparently did the trick.
Gordon shared that letter with Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt who made a phone call to Noojibail late Friday and the cull was called off for now.
Gordon today expressed his gratitude to the Secretary.
“I appreciate the excellent working relationship we have with Secretary Bernhardt and that he is willing to discuss this issue in more detail without the pressure of ongoing aerial hunting,” Governor Gordon said. “I look forward to a more fruitful conversation about better ways to address this issue in a more cooperative manner.”
The aerial gunning operation targeted a population of mountain goats that potentially pose a threat of spreading disease to the native bighorn sheep population and compete with the sheep for habitat.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission passed a resolution last month condemning the use of aerial gunning to remove mountain goats from the Targhee herd and urged Grand Teton to use skilled volunteers as the removal method. Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik also made a third request to stop the plan on Friday, citing public disapproval.
“We remain prepared to work with Grand Teton to meet their management objectives using methods that align with the value Wyoming people have for wildlife,” Nesvik said.
