Olympic
Elk Herd Plan Readied for Public Comment
By Jack Smith, Region 6 Wildlife Program Mgr.
The Olympic
Elk Herd is one of ten elk herds identified in Washington.
It is located on the Olympic Peninsula, generally north of
the Chehalis River and west of Hood Canal. This herd is an
important resource that provides significant recreational,
aesthetic, cultural, and economic benefits to the people of
the state. Based on historical harvest information, elk numbers
peaked in this area in the late1970s with a conservative estimate
of about 12,000 elk outside of Olympic National Park.
The purpose
of the plan is to provide direction for the management of
the Olympic elk resource into the future. The goals for the
Olympic Elk Herd Plan are; (1) to preserve, protect, perpetuate,
manage, and enhance elk and their habitats to ensure healthy,
productive populations, and ecosystem integrity; (2) to manage
elk for a variety of recreational, educational, and aesthetic
purposes including hunting, scientific study, cultural and
ceremonial uses by Native Americans, wildlife viewing, and
photography; and (3) to manage the elk herd for a sustained
yield.
Management
of the Olympic Elk Herd requires close coordination and cooperation
with Indian tribes, public and private land managers, and
the public. A Cooperative Elk Management Group made up of
representative from the Olympic Peninsula tribes and the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife was established in 1996 in
an effort to better manage this valued resource. In view of
the fact that elk populations are below goals established
in the plan, the Cooperative Elk Management Group worked together
with the objective to, “reverse the decline in the Olympic
Herd elk numbers and ensure elk populations throughout the
Olympic Peninsula are huntable in perpetuity.” The cooperative
efforts of the group have succeeded in reversing the decline
in elk herd numbers but populations are still generally below
goals and much more needs to be done.
Priority
objectives have been identified to address specific problems
in elk management. To accomplish each objective a variety
of strategies have been developed. The new draft of the Olympic
Elk Herd Plan will be posted in July on the WDFW Internet
web site for public viewing and comment at < http://wdfw.wa.gov/huntcorn.htm>.
There
are many opportunities for hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts
to get involved in making this plan a reality. These include
participating in composition surveys(through your local elk
foundation chapter), developing the green forage program,
and working with landowners to plan and install signs and
gates. If you would like to find out more about how to volunteer
for implementing some of the strategies in this plan, or just
want more information, you can call Jack Smith at the Montesano
Regional Office(360) 249-1222 or email at smithjls@dfw.wa
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