with Kootznahoo that lasted 10 years allowing him to use it to house bears. The pulp mill had two barrel-shaped concrete tanks that were once used for industrial wastewater treatment. Both tanks had a diameter of 192 feet. The two tanks had heights of 12 and 14 feet, respectively. Kinnear planned to house the bears in the tanks. Aiming to mimick the bears' native habitat, he planned to add water and greenery to furnish the receptacles. After the state of Alaska asked her to evaluate the proposal, the bear expert and Houston Zoo handler Diana Weinhardt visited the site and concluded it was achievable. Regarding the bear sanctuary proposal, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said it was "very noncommittal". The agency mandated that Kootznahoo must demonstrate over 12 months its ability to nurture animals there. Only after the organization did this would the agency approve or deny the permit that would allow housing of bears. To address the department's prerequisite, Kinnear chose to take care of pigs at the pulp mill for that year. He stated that pigs are similar to bears in being omnivores and in having the strength to flee negligent keepers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game agreed to his proposal. After raising pigs at the Sawmill Farm, he began raising other farm animals including chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, rabbits, and turkeys. People from Sitka purchased chickens and eggs from his farm. His farm and a petting zoo were located in one of the pulp mill's tanks. The farm received produce donations from grocery stores to feed the animals. Fishermen took pink salmon to the farm, while the credit union provided fragmented paper as their bedding. By 2005, the Kinnears had invested $40,000 to create the farm and petting zoo and prepare the location for housing bears. To fund the project, Evy Kinnear ran a Sitka embroidery store. The bear sanctuary received opposition from Sitka conservation organizations. Carrie Bosman, a Sitka resident and the Center for Biological Diversity's Alaska program director, said, "I think it's a moral question. For me, it is unfair to take a bear that is wild and used to large open spaces and isolate it in a confined tank." She stated that it was more compassionate to euthanize the bears rather than put the animals up for public view. Jim Faro, a Sitka resident and former Alaska Department of Fish