Rocky Mountain National Park has a problem. Too many elk, not enough natural predators. So park officials have developed a 20 year plan to thin the elk herd by 1,000 elk or so. The cost? $18,000,000.
A 20-year plan to thin the burgeoning elk herd in Rocky Mountain National Park could cost $18 million to kill some animals and disperse others, park officials said.
An estimated 2,200 to 3,000 elk live in the park, overgrazing vegetation that is also important to other wildlife including songbirds, beavers and butterflies, biologists say. Elk numbers have escalated because the animals have few predators and no hunting is allowed in the park.
The park's goal is a herd of 1,200 to 1,700 elk.
Park officials outlined the proposed program and its estimated costs during a public meeting Monday. The park's favored plan would involve killing up to 700 elk annually for four years. After that, an additional 25 to 150 elk would be culled annually for 16 years.
First, how fast to elk reproduce? The current herd is 2,200 to 3,000. The plan calls for culling 2,800 elk over the first 4 years. What am I missing? Anyway...on to the economic question.
Back in February, I attended a conference in San Antonio where I discussed a paper* that looked at Maine hunters willingness to pay for a moose hunting permit. Each year in Maine, 5 moose hunting permits are auctioned off--in addition to the regular hunting lottery that is held. In 2004, the winning bids for the lottery were $8,735 to $11,300. It seems moose hunters receive big benefits from hunting. My guess would be elk hunters would be willing to pay a lot too.
So why not close the park to visitors for one week a year and auction off 700 1-elk hunting permits for each of the first 4 years? Then auction off 25-150 permits each year for the next 16 years. Wouldn't everyone benefit relative to the current proposal? Revenues go up, the herd is controlled, and the butterflies, beavers and songbirds can sing in peace--if butterflies and beavers sing that is.
*Nguyen, N. D. Shaw, R. Woodward, R. Paterson and K. Boyle "An Empirical Study of Option Prices for Hunting Permits." Presented at the W-1133 meeting in San Antonio, Texas, February 2006.
