lU 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



individuals who were interested in the presentation of native species 

 and who were not desirous of seeinfr tlie last remaiiiiii^' baud of a 

 species of animal luitive to this county exterminated within its borders. 

 Many editorials and newspaper articles were written protesting against 

 the removal or destruction of this herd of animals. Articles headed 

 in large type read, "Remember the Fate of the Bison." Not wishing 

 to incur the enmity of so large a representative group of tiie jieople 

 as was making these protests, other means of solving this agricultural 

 problem were considered. Among them was the suggestion that Kern 

 County should purchase a tract of land in the vicinity of Elk Hills, 

 where this band had taken up their last stand, to be given to the State 

 for an elk refuge. This proposal was made to the Board of Supervisors 



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Fig. 44. A new arrival at the Kern County Elk Refuge. June, 1933. 



at a meeting in January, 1930, bj^ a group of citizens representing the 

 Elks lodges of Kern County, the Bakersfield Civic Commercial Asso- 

 ciation, the Fish and Game Protective Association, the American 

 Legion and others. The agricultural commissioner and members of 

 the county farm bureau were present and (hMnandcd that some action 

 be taken to relieve the damage to farmers wlicther it be the piirciiase 

 of a refuge, the destruction of the herd or its removal from Kern 

 County. 



The Board of Supervisors appointed a committee at this meeting to 

 investigate the cost of sufficient land for a refuge and to recommend 

 to the board the amount of money that Kern County should spend on 

 this problem. This committee represented most of the civic organiza- 

 tions of the county and made a very careful and thorough investiga- 



