PROTECT LANDOWNER RIGHTS

  • by: Brooke Parrott
  • recipient: North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, Great Smoky Mountain National Park
In 2001 and 2002 elk were reintroduced into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Several agencies and organizations partnered in the effort such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Friends of the Smokies.  The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation paid approximately $700,000 of the $1,100,000 project and elk were brought to North Carolina from Kentucky and Canada.  The elk are protected and killing an elk results in hefty fines and possible jail time.  The Great Smoky Mountain National Park even went so far as to trap bears and transport them to Cades Cove, Tennessee to prevent them from acting in a their natural predatory manner towards the elk.  Since the reintroduction of the elk, the elk population is now stable and successfully reproducing without disease. 

As many know elk travel miles and miles and of course leave the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  As a result the elk are destroying landowner's personal property and have killed people's pets by stomping them to death.  Not only do the elk scare livestock into breaking through fences but the elk break down fencing resulting in livestock running free.  This a huge liability for livestock owners as they are responsible for damages caused by their livestock.  Many owners of farm animals understand that livestock running free can result in significant damage if an innocent driver were to hit the animal.  Elk who have a rutting season also scrape small trees and destroy small growth timbers and saplings in the beautiful forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Landowners surrounding the Great Smoky Mountain National Park have tried to seek resolution from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission; however, neither agency takes responsibility for any damages caused by the elk.  In fact the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission do not have any type of management plan to deal with these animals once they leave the park. 

It is clear that a management plan is necessary to deal the elk once they leave the park and drift onto the personal property of others.  Previously, there was a attempt to change legislation so that landowners could kill an elk that was clearly causing damage; however, the attempt was extremely unsuccessful because the elk bring tourism to the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding towns and few people that supported the idea participated. 

To prevent the unlawful slaughter of elk, change in legislation is necessary.  If you support the creation of a management plan to deal with the elk once they leave the park, dislike the elk reintroduction project into the Great Smoky Mountains, or want to ensure the elk and their habitat this petition will work toward better legislation surrounding elk in North Carolina.  This petition is special because it affects people with a diversity of viewpoints and will work toward a change that will benefit all.
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