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Download
the draft management plan
February 2002
PDF Format [1.4MB]
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Acknowledgments:
The
original draft of Yakima Elk Herd plan was written by John Musser
(retired), Roger McKeel (retired) and Tom McCall of the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife. George Tsukamoto (Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife 2000) wrote the original Rattlesnake Mountain
elk herd plan. Brett Tiller of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
provided the majority of data for the Rattlesnake Mountain Sub-herd.
We thank them for doing an excellent job of tracking movement and
population dynamics of the Rattlesnake herd and for sharing their
data with the Department. Jeff Bernatowicz and George Tsukamoto
merged the previous Yakima and Rattlesnake herd plans into the current
document. Leray Stream, Robert Schafer, Jeff Tayer, Dave Ware, Rolf
Johnson, and Jerry Nelson provided additional editorial support.
Other Elk Herd Plans:
Blue
Mountains
Colockum
Hanford
Mt.
St. Helens
North
Cascade (Nooksack)
North
Rainier
Olympic
Selkirk
South
Rainier
Yakima
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YAKIMA ELK HERD PLAN
December 2002
Prepared by: Jeff
Bernatowicz and George Tsukamoto
Executive Summary
The Yakima Elk Herd is one of the
largest of ten herds identified in the State. It is an important resource
that provides significant recreational, aesthetic and economic benefit
to Washington citizens. The purpose of this plan is to provide direction
for the management of the Yakima elk resource for the next 5 years. The
plan is subject to amendment. Priority management activities will be implemented
as funding and resources become available.
There are three primary goals stated
in the Yakima Elk Herd Plan;
- to
preserve, protect, perpetuate, manage and enhance elk and their habitats
to ensure healthy, productive populations and ecosystem integrity;
- to
manage elk for a variety of recreational, educational and aesthetic
purposes including hunting, scientific study, cultural, subsistence,
and ceremonial uses by Native Americans, wildlife viewing and photography;
and
- to
manage the elk herd for a sustained yield.
Specific
elk herd and habitat management goals, objectives, problems and strategies
have been stated in the plan. These are priority objectives identified
to address specific problems in elk management. To accomplish each objective
a variety of strategies have been developed. The following objectives
have been identified:
-
Reduce and then maintain the post-hunting season elk population at 9,500
animals for the Cascade slope portion of the Yakima Herd.
-
Reduce and maintain the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve population in the
Rattlesnake Hills at a population level that minimizes damage to private
lands (estimated <350 elk).
-
Improve the scientific basis for managing the elk population.
- Manage
for a post hunting season bull ratio consistent with the Statewide Plan
(currently equal to or greater than 12 bulls/100 cows in combination
with overall bull mortality of less than 50 percent).
-
Minimize damage caused by elk through aggressive removals of elk below
the elk fence and improve Department/ landowner relations.
-
Maintain an effective and efficient elk winter-feeding program.
- Share
elk population data with the Yakama Indian Nation, The Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Medicine Creek Treaty
Tribes.
-
Increase public awareness and viewing opportunities of elk.
-
Cooperate with the U. S. Fish Wildlife Service and U. S. Department
of Energy in the management of elk on the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve,
and with the U. S. Army on the Yakima Training Center.
- Cooperate
and coordinate to improve elk habitat quality and effectiveness on National
Forest and Washington Department of Natural Resources lands.
-
Improve elk habitat quality and effectiveness on private lands with
willing cooperators.
- Secure
more critical elk habitat.
Spending priorities have been identified for the first year and next 5
years. Achieving spending levels will be contingent upon availability
of funds and creation of partnerships. The recommended annual priority
expenditures for the Yakima herd are as follows:
| Priority |
First
year cost |
Five
year cost |
| 1.
Winter elk feeding |
$126,000.00 |
$606,000.00 |
| 2.
Herd population/composition surveys |
$14,000.00 |
$70,000.00 |
| 3.
Improve collection of hunter harvest and effort information. |
$26,000.00 |
$130,000.00 |
| 4.
Elk Habitat Study |
$150,000.00 |
$600,000.00 |
| 5.
Elk fence construction. |
$500,000.00 |
$700,000.00 |
| 6.
Address landowner/elk conflicts. |
$90,160.00 |
$453,820.00 |
| 7.
Habitat preservation program. |
$200,000.00 |
$1,000,000.00 |
| 8.
Road management |
$16,000.00
|
$80,000.00 |
| 9.
Elk habitat improvement |
$40,000.00 |
$200,000.00 |
| TOTAL |
$1,162,160.00 |
$3,839,820.00 |
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