Board Of Game Unanimous Vote To Support Divisive Mulchatna Caribou Herd Management Plan

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s controversial process to reportedly protect Mulchanta Herd caribou by eliminating area predators such as bears and wolves has been halted by judicial rulings. But today, the states’s Board of Game voted unanimously to support ADFG’s plans to eradicate the predators despite plenty of pushback.

Here’s a statement from ADFG:

Board of Game Unanimously Supports Intensive Management Proposal

July 17, 2025 (Anchorage) — On Tuesday, the Alaska Board of Game (board) voted unanimously (7-0) in support of Proposal 1 to amend the Mulchatna caribou herd intensive management (IM) plan to allow the department to lethally remove black and brown bears (in addition to wolves) in a specific area of the herd’s range. The removal of bears is a direct action to increase the abundance of these caribou. During the two-day meeting, the board received 1,507 written comments, 90 record copies, and heard from 15 individuals and organizations, and 2 Fish and Game Advisory Committees. The department presented information on the existing IM plan, a history of the herd, and ongoing research on herd health and nutrition as well as updated information on the status of bear populations impacted by the IM program. The department also provided a review focused on the sustained yield of predators in IM programs, and the frameworks of the constitution and statutory requirements which guide the board and department through the IM process.

After passing the proposal the board developed findings which recommended the department continue to implement the predator removal portion of the plan as has been done since 2023. The findings also provide direction to the department to monitor the sustainability of predator populations, and to monitor the Mulchatna caribou herd calving periods and locations of calving grounds. “We were trying to rebuild the caribou herd, but we’re not going to jeopardize long- term sustainability of bears in so doing,” said Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang.

Department predator removal efforts in the Mulchatna caribou herd IM program are administered to reduce wolf and bear populations in small, defined areas for short periods of time, to enhance caribou calf survival and to increase herd abundance.

“There is strong evidence that neither disease nor nutrition are preventing this herd from recovering,” said Commissioner Vincent-Lang. “Predation has been isolated as the limiting factor preventing the herd from growing, and predator removal is increasing calf survival—we know that now—and we have seen increased calf survival as a result of our past IM efforts.”

The department is committed to all users of the herd in rebuilding this population which has been identified as important for providing high levels of human consumption under state statute and regulation.

Meeting information and details are available here: Meeting Information: Alaska Board of Game, Alaska Department of Fish and Game