BAKKEN NEWS


Studying the mulies Cont. from page 1


gain formal approval but there has been a verbal agreement to conduct the study. He said the foundation has com-


mitted $5,000 toward the study. Bruce Stillings, big game biolo-


gist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said if fi nalized, the study will involve trapping and radio collaring 90 adult mule deer does and tracking them over the course of three years.


areas of the Badlands into three con- trol categories: minimal or no oil de- velopment; moderate development (four wells/infrastructure per section of land); and a high level of develop- ment (fi ve wells per section), Stillings said. He said the study is a PhD-level


The study would break down the Marshall said the study has yet to


fawn recruitment and how the deer respond to changes in habitat. Johnson said unlike white tail deer,


mulies don’t adapt or move in re- sponse to changes in their habitat. He said the Wyoming study showed


a 65 percent raw loss in the mule deer population. “Mulies are more sensitive to dis-


turbance, like sage grouse.” he said. “That’s why we need a true research project.” Johnson said the oil industry itself has been one of the players in getting the study up and running. “I think the vast majority of com-


Thursday, February 9, 2012 ■ Page 9


Gov.: Now is the time to build on our success


By NICKSMITH Bismarck Tribune


With past initiatives to stimulate eco-


panies have an interest in this project,” he said. “They buy tables at our local banquets ... and all of those funds go back into the ground in North Dakota ... most of them are hunters too.” Johnson said the the previous three


study through the University of Mis- souri in cooperation with the Game and Fish Department, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Mule Deer Foundation and the North Dakota Oil and Gas Resource Council. Stillings said there is no question


there will be an effect, the question is to what degree. “The biggest concern is the level of


development,” he said. Johnson said to his knowledge


winters have added up to “a perfect storm” in its impact to mule deer and all wildlife. And that storm happened to coin-


cide with an energy boom right in the mulies’ backyard. “In all honesty, it would have been


nice to have had this study 40, 30 or 20 years ago,” Johnson said. Stillings said while it will take three


there has been just one similar study on the effect of energy development on mule deer in a western state, that being Wyoming. But Stillings said the mule deer


or more years to compile the data from the study, at which time drilling activity may have leveled off, it will serve North Dakota and other western states in the future. The fi ndings of the study will have


herd in North Dakota is unique be- cause their home range is confi ned to the Badlands. In other western states, mule deer


wildlife biologists and states develop mitigation plans in the event of a fu- ture boom, energy or otherwise. “It will increase the body of


typically have different summer and winter ranges they move between. “In North Dakota, we have such a small amount of land that provides adequate habitat,” he said. The study will track the movement of mulies, survival rates of adult does,


knowledge,” Stillings said. “In a per- fect world, we would be completing this study now. But, it’s not a perfect world.” (Reach reporter Brian Gehring at 701-250-8254 or brian.gehring@bis- marcktribune.com.)


nomic development and improving the state’s business climate well established, now is the time to work on further ex- panding and diversifying the employ- ment and cultural opportunities for North Dakotans. Gov. Jack Dalrymple said that is the


driving force behind the North Dakota 2020 And Beyond initiative announced on Jan. 30. “It’s not a replacement of our current


10-year strategic plan,” Dalrymple said. “It has a 20-year horizon and it expands beyond just job creation.” Dalrymple said with a strong state-


wide economy, budget surpluses and more than 20,000 jobs available, North Dakota fi nds itself in a position to work on building long-term economic and cultural prosperity. The North Dakota 2020 and Beyond


initiative, Dalrymple explained, is to fo- cus on three key points that creators of the plan see as being critical to providing opportunities for North Dakotans in the future.


The fi rst area of focus is people. “We need to think of our people as a


resource,” Dalrymple said. By promoting education and direct- ing people to the proper training pro- grams, a higher number of North Dako- tans will be qualifi ed to enter the career fi eld of their choice, he said. A second key area of focus is on plac-


es. For communities in western North


Dakota experiencing rapid growth due to the sharp rise in oil activity, this is es- pecially important, Dalrymple said.


The fi nal area of focus is opportuni-


ties. Dalrymple said the state has already made progress in areas such as technol- ogy, manufacturing and hospitality. Dal- rymple said creating opportunities for current and future residents in fi elds in- cluding professional services, advanced engineering and medical technology can help diversify North Dakotans’ career choices. “No longer are you going to be stuck


in agriculture or in energy or in distribu- tion,” Dalrymple said. A diverse workforce will help attract families and young people to commu- nities across the state, Dalrymple said. It also could lead to new social, cultural and entertainment opportunities in communities. “If you want to enhance a commu-


nity, we have that opportunity, and that’s exciting. The only way to maintain those people is to have the attractive jobs,” Dal- rymple said. A steering committee and advisory


board have been formed to guide the plan. The steering committee consists of seven business leaders and six members of the Legislature. The advisory board will have about 30 members from throughout the state. The steering committee will hold meetings in eight communities through- out February and March. Dalrymple said the committee will submit a report to him and the Legisla- ture in the fall. He said to expect several legislative initiatives to come from the report. To achieve these key goals, Dalrymple said feedback from area leaders and the public is important. “We want North Dakotans to tell us


what they want us to do,” Dalrymple said.


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Mule deer numbers ■ 2011 survey: 1,756 mule deer over 293.8 square miles


■ Density: 6.0 deer per square mile (2011); down from 7.8 deer per square mile (2010); less than the long-term average of 6.9 per square mile


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