Minnesota's elk expansion? Not so fast, say some ranchers, farmers

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http://www.twincities.com/2016/03/30/mi ... lawmakers/
Elk are seen in the snow near Grygla in far northwestern Minnesota. The DNR has a plan to expand the elk population, but a proposal at the Capitol would halt that until the DNR could prove ranchers' property would be protected. (Marshal Deters/Minnesota Department of Natural Resources via AP, File)

Highlights:
The DNR wants to expand the state's elk population.
Farmers and ranchers are concerned because elk herds destroy fences and crops.
A plan at the Capitol would halt the DNR's plans until it could prove it has effective methods for reducing property damage.
About 130 elk live in the far northwestern part of Minnesota.

By Dave Orrick | dorrick@pioneerpress.com
March 30, 2016 | UPDATED: 4 days ago

Minnesota’s plan to expand the state’s elk population in far northwestern Minnesota has come under scrutiny at the Capitol.

Rep. Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, is pushing a measure that would halt the expansion of the elk herd until the DNR could demonstrate that damage to farms by elk was being fully addressed.

The Department of Natural Resources has ambitions for the state’s elk population, which is currently estimated to be around 130 wild animals in the far northwest part of the state.

Earlier this year, the DNR put radio collars on a number of elk as part of a research project to better understand the animals, which were common in much of the state before European settlement. The project, part of a master plan for elk, intends to better understand elk movements, in part, so that wildlife managers can figure how to encourage elk to stop causing damage on farms and ranches. Additionally, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is planning to reintroduce elk to northeast Minnesota.

Elk expansion is popular with groups such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and some hunters, but it’s controversial among many landowners who live in Kittson County, where elk destruction of crops and fences has resulted in an uneasy relationship between locals and the animals.

Donnie Schmiedeberg, a local rancher, said such issues are a daily concern for farmers during some times of year. At a recent hearing before a House panel, Schmiedeberg detailed how he and other ranchers often must do daily maintenance on fences when the elk herd is on their land.

Public funds are available to reimburse farmers for the actual cost of elk damage, but Schmiedeberg said the “real cost” is often much higher than the reimbursement. For example, if a downed fence allows one of his cows to escape and cause a wreck on an adjacent highway, the value of the cow — and his potential liability for the crash — aren’t reimbursed.

Obtaining reimbursement requires paperwork and an on-site inspection by a government official, a process that can take months, he said. As a result, farmers who discover crop damage during the harvest often don’t report it.

Wildlife officials have said they plan to encourage elk to live on nearby public lands, but Fabian and Schmiedeberg said the DNR needs to demonstrate, via annual reports to the legislature, they can do that before allowing the population to grow.

“There needs to be more effort to change the way the elk depend on the farmer to feed them” before expanding the herd, he told a House panel at a recent hearing.