ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Fiery public testimony concerning a controversial management plan being put forward by the state of Alaska was heard Monday. The plan in question relates to the Mulchatna Caribou Herd, a subsistence herd in the western portion of the state.
This specific herd peaked in 1997, with a total population size of around 200,000. A sharp, rapid decline followed shortly after, falling to a total population of around 13,000.
The plan, known as the Mulchatna Caribou Herd Predator Control Plan, would cover around 40,000 square miles and would utilize multiple predator control areas within the overall management area.
That resulted in a closure of the hunting of the herd, as it fell well below the management levels. The state has a population objective for the herd between 30,000 and 80,000…