National Elk Refuge Seeking Comment on Bison, Elk Management Plan

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking the public’s input on its plan to develop and update its Bison and Elk Management Plan on the 24,700-acre National Elk Refuge in west central Wyoming.

The comment period is open now through Aug. 31.

Founded in 1912 in response to the adverse impact hunting and encroaching settlement was having on the herds, the refuge borders Jackson, Wyoming, on the southwest, Bridger-Teton National Forest on the east and Grand Teton National Park on the north. 

Though lack of food supply and adverse weather conditions continue to plague the herds, even after the Fish and Wildlife Service took over their stewardship, the two species have enjoyed a considerable comeback.

According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, there are currently about 10,600 elk that winter in the refuge, and about 450 bison.

Cognizant of this trend in herd growth, the agency in 2007 adopted its first-ever formal plan to guide the management of the herds over a 15-year timeframe. The goal was to keep the bison herd down to about 500 members, and the elk herd at about 11,000 members. 

That plan expired in 2022, and the sizes of the respective herds are now approaching their planned limit.

The Fish and Wildlife Service also completed a five-year “step down” plan in 2019 to reduce supplement feeding at the site.

The plan ends in December 2024 so the updates seek to address newly available scientific information and changed conditions since adoption of the original management plan.

Particularly worrisome to federal officials is that chronic wasting disease has been detected in the elk herd, and regulators fear it could have significant negative effects on the herd over time.

Worse, they believe supplemental feeding that had been done for years to support the growth of the herd has exacerbated these effects and will continue to do so.  

The updated management plan will establish new bars for desired conditions, management goals, objectives and strategies to assure the refuge is populated by sustainable and healthy bison and elk herds, the agency said in a press release. 

The agency is currently working with tribes, the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others to update the plan as the Jackson elk and bison herds migrate across several jurisdictional boundaries.  

Documents associated with the request for comment were published in the Federal Register last month.

In addition to making these documents available to the public for review, the Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a series of virtual and public scoping meetings in Jackson, Wyoming, on Aug. 21, Pinedale, Wyoming, on Aug. 22, and a virtual-only option on Aug. 23.

Those wishing to submit comments may do so in the following ways: Online, by visiting https://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FWS-R6-NWRS-2023-0062, and by mail by sending them to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R6-NWRS-2023-0062; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. 

The agency advises those submitting comments to note in their correspondence that the comments are regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bison and Elk Management Plan.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue