Activity Report Explorer

Alaska Soles • Entered by Loren Karro on April 1, 2024

Reduce the use of Gas Powered vehicles on Public Lands

March 25, 2024 – April 1, 2024

Key Issue: Climate Change
Activity Type: Stewardship (monitoring, sampling, planting, etc.)
Key Partners: Alaska State Troopers, Sally of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness national office.

Measurable Outcomes

Outcome 1: non gas powered vehicles (5 Alternative transportation)
Outcome 2: Other

Short Description of Activity

Being concerned about the widespread use of refined gas driven vehicles by public officials on public lands, we strove to find an alternative form of transportation, one which would travel over Alaska’s rough backcountry without damage to tundra and other vegetation.

Reflection/Evaluation

In 2023, the brave Broads of Alaska Soles found a way to stop dangerous methane emissions from wild, farting moose, by plugging up the gas emitting portal of the huge animals. We decided to round up some of the treated, large antlered behemoth bulls and train them. We first had to locate the plugged moose, which we did by going to the original round up areas and using binoculars to locate the bloated, plugged animals. They were easily identified as the non-treated moose tended towards skinny torsos after a long, deep snow winter in Alaska. We took turns lassoing the bull moose and gently leading them to our hastily built corral in Loren’s Knik River homesite. After locating, roping and relocating 6 of the animals, we proceeded to begin an intense training course. This was made simpler by the slowed down movements of these previously plugged bovines, due to the build up of gases and other wastes caused by the plugs. We had to re-wild one animal when too sudden a movement caused it to blow its plug (which unfortunately allowed the immediate release of a year’s pent up waste products and yes, methane laced gases, to the pained surprise of the three near by trainers, us! ) After thorough washing in the icy Knik River, we continued until all 5 remaining moose were well rein trained, taught to stay still (usually) for mounts and dismounts, and taught not to toss off the light and siren bar that we mounted between their massive antlers. The trickiest part was running a tube to allow just enough methane to flow to the specially built mini generator to keep the light bars lit. Gentle spurring of the moose’s flanks set off its bellow, which was mechanically amplified to act as a siren. We then introduced the animals to their new owners; two Alaska State Troopers and three Alaska State Park Rangers. The moose will be used to patrol the large remote areas of the Alaskan wilderness as well as the large state park system. The bull moose can travel over mountainous terrain, swamp lands, and bumpy tundra where wheeled vehicles floundered, and with only a very limited use of naturally occurring methane gas (which, if the bulls had not been plugged by the self same Broads in 2023, would be only a fraction of the noxious methane the moose would have emitted over the past year). The bull moose were put into use on April 1st, to great acclaim by the troopers and rangers who are utilizing them. Another benefit of these moose is that they don’t leave large tracks or significantly damage the underlaying vegetation as they travel, and they need only some naturally growing leaves and bark (preferably willow but there aren’t that picky) to fuel them. The large number of post activity hours shows the difficulty in cleaning up after such an arduous task!

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Photo Captions

An Alaska State Trooper Officer test rides a new, naturally ethane powered non gas emitting bull moose, the newest clean energy transportation developed by the Great Old (and we mean Old) Broads of Alaska Soles.