Welcome to the technical sessions schedule for the 2015 SEAFWA Annual Meeting.
NEW THIS YEAR! The technical schedule is capable of being sorted by date (i.e, Monday, Nov. 2), track (i.e. Wildlife Technical Sessions), or session (i.e. Wildlife Session #1). You can also search for a presentation title (i.e. Changing Landscapes by Coalition), key term (i.e. striped bass), or presenter last name (i.e. Weaver). The sort and search functions can be found on the navigation panel on the right side of this page. If you hover over the "Schedule" button, you’ll also see different schedule view options (i.e. Grid or Simple). Try selecting each of them to see which view you prefer.
MY SCHEDULE FEATURE: It is not required of you to create a Sched.org account to use this site but if you do so, you’ll be able to use the "My Schedule" feature which allows you to create your own schedule for the conference. Click the "Sign Up" button in the top right corner of this page to create a Sched.org account.
SCHEDULE UPDATES: The session abstracts and timeslots are subject to change. This site will be updated as changes come in; please check back for updates.
MAIN SCHEDULE & WEBSITE:Click here to return to the main SEAFWA conference site.
Marion Deerhake, RTI International; Jennifer Murrow, University of Maryland; Katherine Heller, RTI International; David Cobb, Brad Howard -North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Elk were introduced in 2001 to the Cataloochee area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). In 2008, the National Park Service transferred responsibility for elk management outside GRSM to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NC WRC). Expansion of elk outside of GRSM boundaries presents additional recreational opportunities for residents and tourists but also increases human-elk conflict and associated property damage, cost of preventive action, and administrative burden for NC WRC staff. NC WRC commissioned an integrated biological, economic, and social assessment of the feasibility and value of maintaining a sustainable, huntable elk population outside GRSM in North Carolina. Biologically, we found that the projected population of elk would likely grow in areas where they currently exist, even with modest harvest rates of 4 to 6 males per year. A nearby source herd and large, less developed landscapes promote herd sustainability. Even without hunting, establishing additional elk herds in areas remote from the current population would likely fail if herds experience even slightly lower survival and recruitment due to higher levels of elk/human conflict. Economically, the elk herd would continue to be positive for North Carolina’s economy, increasing tourism and conveying net benefits that could total millions of dollars per year, depending on the scenario.
