Post by DocHolladay on May 18, 2006 2:31:15 GMT -5
DENVER, CO—Rocky Mountain National Park officials have proposed killing hundreds of elk to reduce what Colorado wildlife biologists say has become an unmanageable population.
A draft elk management plan released by park officials earlier this month includes a recommendation to have park employees or contractors shoot 200-700 elk during the plan’s first 4 years. After that, another 25-150 elk would be killed in the park annually for the next 16 years.
Park officials say their goal is to reduce the park’s current elk population of 3,000 to between 1,200-1,700 animals.
Biologists say the huge elk herd has overgrazed the park so badly that other animals and plants have been hurt by the loss of habitat and food. Rocky Mountain National Park’s elk numbers have escalated in recent years because of a lack of predators and because the park doesn’t allow a hunting season within park boundaries.
Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson says the elk management plan also includes the option and possibility of using gray wolves to control elk numbers. Any proposal to release wolves in Colorado, however, would need to be approved by federal and state agencies.
Other elk management options include fencing off the park’s aspen trees, whose bark is a favorite elk food; giving cow elk birth control; and a less aggressive culling program that would remove only 100-200 elk per year during the next 20 years.
The National Park Service will issue a final environmental impact statement on the plan after taking public comments.
Comments on the plan must be received by July 4, 2006, and can be sent to: Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO 80517; romo_superintendent@nps.gov.
A draft elk management plan released by park officials earlier this month includes a recommendation to have park employees or contractors shoot 200-700 elk during the plan’s first 4 years. After that, another 25-150 elk would be killed in the park annually for the next 16 years.
Park officials say their goal is to reduce the park’s current elk population of 3,000 to between 1,200-1,700 animals.
Biologists say the huge elk herd has overgrazed the park so badly that other animals and plants have been hurt by the loss of habitat and food. Rocky Mountain National Park’s elk numbers have escalated in recent years because of a lack of predators and because the park doesn’t allow a hunting season within park boundaries.
Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson says the elk management plan also includes the option and possibility of using gray wolves to control elk numbers. Any proposal to release wolves in Colorado, however, would need to be approved by federal and state agencies.
Other elk management options include fencing off the park’s aspen trees, whose bark is a favorite elk food; giving cow elk birth control; and a less aggressive culling program that would remove only 100-200 elk per year during the next 20 years.
The National Park Service will issue a final environmental impact statement on the plan after taking public comments.
Comments on the plan must be received by July 4, 2006, and can be sent to: Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO 80517; romo_superintendent@nps.gov.
If ya guys know of wear to write and want to get the ball rolling let me know I got plenty of pens n paper 
