Want to provide input on the potential reintroduction of Bison in Banff National Park? Here's your opportunity

[Albertadiver]

Report from Parks at this link.
http://globalnews.ca/news/827969/parks-canada-seeks-feedback-on-plan-to-bring-bison-back-to-banff/

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/plan/gestion-management/bison.aspx

CALGARY – Parks Canada is looking for feedback on plans to bring buffalo back to Banff National Park.

Bison were the dominant herbivores on the eastern slopes of the park for thousands of years, but have been absent since before the park was created 126 years ago.

Plans to reintroduce the iconic species to that landscape were first announced in January of 2012, and officials are launching public consolations into the impact on the park and on neighbouring lands.

They’ve compiled a draft plan for the bison’s reintroduction, which they say helps furthers Parks Canada’s conservation goal of restoring and maintaining a full complement of native species in Canada’s national parks.

Canadians are invited to provide feedback on the draft plan from September 9th until November 1st, 2013.

To access the plan, along with other information on the plains bison, the public are encouraged to visit http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/banff-bison.

Comments on the plan and reintroduction can be sent to opinion@pc.gc.ca.

READ: Parks Canada’s draft plan for public consultation regarding the reintroduction of wild plains bison to Banff National Park

[walking buffalo]

What a painfull read.


I feel like they are talking to grade three students.

Comment on what? The drivel spewed as a "draft plan"? Where is the "Plan"?

The only comment I could logically have from the provided information is that they better stop the propaganda and provide accurate science and details of the plan, especially regarding issues relating to Bison leaving the Park.


My favorite aspect of this cute webpage is that Parks want to establish a "Free Roaming" Bison population by placing them in a contained area. :lol:


I am not against the concept, however this weak public consultation is embarrassing.

[Ryry4]

I can't wait to see some of the tourists walking up to a big buffalo bill to get a few pictures like they do with the elk.

Removing them from the town will be a bit of a problem I suspect also.

[bang_on_sk]

The first thing that jumped out at me:

Are the launching public consolations, or consultations? It's nice to know they know there's a difference.

[Sooner]

There is a you tube video of a dad gesturing his son to get closer to a buffalo in Yellowstone I think so he can get a picture. They are on a boardwalk and in the video you can see the Buffalo getting ****ed, its hair starts standing up too. Well it's good video of the buffalo charging the kid and then chasing the dad around. I suspect this will happen in the parks if the buffalo are brought back in. Common sense says this is a bad idea for a lot of reasons, so why is it being pushed ahead. Oh ya, cause we don't know anything.

[Albertadiver]

There is a you tube video of a dad gesturing his son to get closer to a buffalo in Yellowstone I think so he can get a picture. They are on a boardwalk and in the video you can see the Buffalo getting ****ed, its hair starts standing up too. Well it's good video of the buffalo charging the kid and then chasing the dad around. I suspect this will happen in the parks if the buffalo are brought back in. Common sense says this is a bad idea for a lot of reasons, so why is it being pushed ahead. Oh ya, cause we don't know anything.

Saw that video... freaking hilarious!

http://youtu.be/DXZUTSRZdwU

Can't fix stupid I suppose....

[Okotokian]

I think they should do it.

I look forward to the Canmore and K Country bison hunts. :)

[just_dave]

That kid should be on a t-shirt or inspirational poster.

"Never Give Up!"

I like how his dad laughs after. "I knew you could do it, son!" hahaha!

As for bison in Banff. I'd personally not be going to visit free range bison in Banff because I probably wouldn't visit Banff anyway. So I vote yes. :)

[BeeGuy]

I guess the ultimate question is:

Would the reintroduction of bison provide a positive revenue stream.

ie. good for tourism?



I don't think so.




That video was great. That little kid could haul!

[slough shark]

AS WB said what is their plan once they spread and leave Banff? I could see this get interesting w/regards to vehicle damage from a few buffalo not liking the look of small cars (or perhaps liking their look too much during mating season :sHa_shakeshout:) It could also be hilarious if they wander into town, the Canadian version of "the running of the bulls"

[martinnordegg]

There is a Parks Canada Video I believe it is called best Summer Job in Canada. It is in their video library online. It is promotional for the Bison project referenced above. You will see they have tried to get for one the Sundre Fish and Game Association on board to give their blessing to the project, but according to friends that belong they haven't succedded. The buffoons in the video from the club were promised positions as stewards of the buffalo and be able to use Parks horses and Cabins while they monitored the bison.

They Luxton Foundation of Banff is spearheading this but they want to use OUR taxpayer money to fund it. The whole thing is full of holes. They have had many openhouses already but have run into major opposition at each one. They have proposed drift fences along the Ya Ha Tinda and Panther areas to keep the bison in. Right...like that will work. They have also proposed to feed them with hay until they get self sufficient. Well folks I am sure many of you are aware of the Parks policy on leaving the Park pristine and disturbing nothing. How about all the weed seeds in the hay, or introducing a species that is NOT indiginous to the area. It has been proven the only reason bison were in the Park is they were temporarily pushed in by fire or hunting pressure.

I am against this and could rant on about it but all it seems to be is a job for a couple retired Parks Biologists to supplement their pension.

[just_dave]

Just strollin'. Like a boss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdvwrlGikzo

[Grizzly Adams]

They did consultation and got input from stake holders. They said NO. :D Some heavy duty lobby groups pushing this thing. Good news is they claim if they leave the Park, they're fair game. I could do a bison hunt on the Ya Ha Tinda, :lol: which is where they would end up.

Grizz

[Albertadiver]

They did consultation and got input from stake holders. They said NO. :D Good news is they claim if they leave the Park, they're fair game. I could do a bison hunt on the Ya Ha Tinda, :lol: which is where they would end up.

Grizz

I've had some exposure to some of the folks at Parks - very much full of people with thier own agendas living in some sort of a utopian society concept. It's sad, because there are some fantastic people in that organization as well. Incredibly frustrating for the logical and realistic folks. Maybe some day they'll trim the fat and hanger's on and treat our Parks as they should. Well, maybe that's too idealistic. The morons with Yellowstone to Yukon initiative seem to be well funded with nothing but time and propaganda on their hands. This bison stuff just plays into thier hands.

Ooops sorry, we have to close more trails and not allow horse or foot access into areas because we don't want to harm our poor indiginous bison! (I honestly see that happening)

Too many misguided greenies as far as I'm concerned. It makes me sick, and there's very little I can do about it. I can only encourage people to submit thier comments so that they can't say that this stupid initiative was widely supported.

[fish gunner]

The historic range appears from more than one source to extend to the BC border in the south and well into BC in the north . Altough the 50+ million in canada alone took less than a few decades to eradicate. Oh that was for political ends and greed . Been roaming the west aprox 25000 yrs we know better. :(

[Lefty-Canuck]

It will go well until the first tourist gets his camera lens implanted in his eye socket from an angry bison....

LC

[fish gunner]

It will go well until the first tourist gets his camera lens implanted in his eye socket from an angry bison....

LC

Is this suggesting a tourist has never been Inured by animals that live in the parks now. Ie bears and elk .

[Pikehunter13]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM

F*N Funny

Saw that video... freaking hilarious!

http://youtu.be/DXZUTSRZdwU

Can't fix stupid I suppose....

[Albertadiver]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM

F*N Funny

:lol: that is awesome. Gettin chased by a bear so I chase him back cause I'm on a buffalo! :lol:

[bearbuster]

Is this the reason for all the new page wire construction going on now along the park highways?

[Lefty-Canuck]

Is this suggesting a tourist has never been Inured by animals that live in the parks now. Ie bears and elk .

Not suggesting that at all...just suggesting bison can hurt you too :)

LC

[BeeGuy]

Just strollin'. Like a boss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdvwrlGikzo

some nice cuts of meat on that bison

[Bigdad013]

Is this the reason for all the new page wire construction going on now along the park highways?

No, thats to keep the animals (elk, deer, bears etc) off the highway. You can see the very expensive animal overpasses as well along the stretch

[just_dave]

some nice cuts of meat on that bison

I'd eat that bison so hard.

[fish gunner]

X2 So yummy cant wait for a friends butcher to get done with the next batch. Buddies step dad has a herd of 30+ with a wood bison as the stud.:)

[Albertadiver]

The historic range appears from more than one source to extend to the BC border in the south and well into BC in the north . Altough the 50+ million in canada alone took less than a few decades to eradicate. Oh that was for political ends and greed . Been roaming the west aprox 25000 yrs we know better. :(

Don't disagree with you FG, but several dumb decisions don't end up making good ones.

[fish gunner]

Don't disagree with you FG, but several dumb decisions don't end up making good ones.

So the issue is the how its being done as opposed to the bison them selves.

[Albertadiver]

So the issue is the how its being done as opposed to the bison them selves.

I suppose I could agree with that to some extent.

My own personal opinion, is now that they're gone, I'm not sure if they have a place to come back in the Park. I see them being used as a vehicle by special interest groups (i.e. Y2Y) to restrict access and make more rules, more regulations, more complications for areas bordering the park. So I guess, yes, I agree it's not neccesarily the bison themselves, its the issues around them that concern me.

[fish gunner]

Well it would appear they have a 100 yr mission statement and are not going away any time soon. Imo becoming a representing force in the orginization would be the way forward. This would insure a better user group diversify . They have support , they have money and the best of " intentions"this can be corrupted with a few user groups if all are not represented sadly mce is one of the sponsors and we know how they view hunting in general.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Who cares about details?

I'd be tickled pink if we had more free range bison out there...hopefully increasing in numbers sufficient to hunt... some day.

So...I'm all in as far as the principle goes... and of no opion WRT how it is rolled out since...we don't really seem to know yet.

[Sundancefisher]

Been to Yellowstone a bunch of times. Seeing Bison is cool. It will add an additional need for tourist awareness... We almost got caught away from our vehicle while making lunch when a bunch of rutting males came charging in. It was fast, big, awesome and terrifying all at once. Kraft dinner burned in our pot.

Some will leave...maybe all. Never know. If they leave and they migrated to populated areas they would be a nusaine animal. I would think a hunting season would be an added benefit for sportsman as the population grows and animals leave the park.

Grizzlies will have a new form of protein so they would be happy.

So what about TB. Biggest problem in the past has been transmission of TB in infected animals. Hopefully another Wood Buffalo problem does not occur.

[albertadave]

I suppose I could agree with that to some extent.

My own personal opinion, is now that they're gone, I'm not sure if they have a place to come back in the Park. I see them being used as a vehicle by special interest groups (i.e. Y2Y) to restrict access and make more rules, more regulations, more complications for areas bordering the park. So I guess, yes, I agree it's not neccesarily the bison themselves, its the issues around them that concern me.

Bang on AD. This very well could be used by groups such as Y2Y etc. as a tool to set up some kind of a "buffer zone" along the park border, as has been suggested in the past.
Guys, as sportsmen this should not be viewed as a positive thing in any way. The area where this introduction is being proposed is very remote, and the likelihood of a tourist ever seeing a bison is minimal at best. The plan includes a "bison fence" which would be designed to keep the bison in the designated area. A fence like this would would very likely affect the natural migration routes of other species (deer, elk, sheep etc.) and possibly set up funnels for predators targetting these species. (The fence would be a long one, entirely built by helicopter support....think about what thats going to cost, and the buffalo would be airlifted in by chopper too....absolutely ridiculous) The groups pushing this are claiming that the introduced herd would be a clean herd ie. disease free, but have then gone on to admit that not every animal would be tested before release, hence the possibilty of spreading disease into other ungulates.
This iniative is being pushed by greenies, with support of parks, with a "head in the sand, it will all work out, lets just see what happens" attidude. While I agree that getting a crack at one that wanders out of the park would be cool, its just not worth the possible, and likely, ramifications. If this goes ahead its a disaster waiting to happen.

[stuckincity]

Sorry to bump this, but I wanted to mention that Chief Chiniki's Restaurant west of Calgary served buffalo meat from their own herd, till some scumbag burned the place down.

It had darn good meat dishes, as well as their other "Native American" cuisine.

I hope the "indians" maintained the herd, and will open another place like it soon. And it wouldn't hurt my feelings to see wild bison come back for hunting, or as a source for restaurants.

[greylynx]

Is this a little Elk Island Park for Tojo to take pictures?

AB: Get those construction outlays. You know what I am talking about.