Resolutions

Whereas

• Alberta ranchers are being encouraged to improve their range management to ensure the sustainability of their soil, water, plant and wildlife biodiversity.
• Alberta ranchers are also being asked to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and thus are stockpiling forages for winter use thereby reducing the need to use carbon emitting machinery to feed livestock and2/13/2025.
• As the end result of Alberta ranches having demonstrated their effective and efficient management in both of these areas, the unintended consequence of proper range management has resulted in the overpopulation of whitetail, mule deer and elk. This over population in wildlife negatively impacts all efforts towards proper range management through overgrazing of forages not only damaging the various grass species, but also not allowing the stockpiling of forages. Ungulate overpopulation also results in damaging and defecating on swaths and/or bales intended for winter grazing thus eliminating the possibility of winter grazing without mechanical assistance resulting in increased carbon footprint.
• It is still not fully understood from an animal health perspective the potential hazards that exist when large number of ungulates co-mingle with livestock.

Be it Resolved

That ABP work with any and all government or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) agencies including but not limited to Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Alberta Parks, First Nations, Research and/or other producer organizations to better understand how to best mitigate the over-population of whitetail, mule deer and elk populations so that a producer focused strategy for long term sustainable wildlife management can be developed and implemented.