September 2021 - 2

FROM THE
DIRECTOR
Revisiting elk feedgrounds
By Brian Nesvik
E
lk feedground management is not
the same as it was 40 years ago.
That's a good thing for Wyoming. In
fact, we'd be remiss at the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department if we were still
managing wildlife resources the same way we
did in the 1980s. Not because it wasn't done right,
but because today we are faced with different
challenges. It's our responsibility to always
revisit practices and advance them on behalf of
today's - and tomorrow's - wildlife.
Elk feeding has changed during my career with Game and Fish.
Because we know a lot more about elk behavior and movements due
to modern technologies, we now can reduce the number of days we
feed to only those necessary to reduce damage on private property
and mitigate disease transmission. Due to our growing knowledge
of disease mitigation for diseases like chronic wasting disease and
brucellosis, we've altered the way we feed so elk are more spread out
and spend less time on feedgrounds, when possible. We also have a
CWD management plan with specific actions we will take if CWD
is ever identified in elk on a state-managed elk feedground.
It's been several years since Game and Fish fully evaluated
management of the state's 22 elk feedgrounds. This is why Game
and Fish has committed to and is leading a public collaborative process
titled Elk feedgrounds: A challenge we can take on. This process is
the next step in the necessary progression of wildlife management,
where we must continually shift based on science and emerging needs
and issues. It's an important evaluation, and we believe in doing it
alongside our diverse stakeholders.
The collaborative process has multiple steps, and within the last year
we completed Phase I. The first phase involved a series of virtual public
meetings designed to provide participants with a basic understanding
of elk feedgrounds management and the challenges associated with
them. Our focus was to provide interested members of the public
2 | September 2021
with the information Game and Fish has used in the past to make
decisions regarding feedgrounds. Much of the presentation was focused
on " the why " for Game and Fish-operated elk feedgrounds.
Now we're in Phase II, which involves more in-depth learning and
discussions with key stakeholders on topics that were identified in
Phase I and during the six recent public meetings. We understand that
like-minded constituents appreciate the opportunity to visit with each
other and are open to discuss similar interests and provide input on
the future of elk feedground management, so the stakeholder groups
were designed that way. The stakeholder groups include agriculture/
landowners, government/elected representatives, sportspersons,
nongovernmental organizations, outfitters and guides, general public,
academia and elk feeders. In these stakeholder focus groups, members
will be asked to share perspectives, concerns and creative ideas in an
open, respectful manner with members of the department's steering
team for use in the development of the long-term elk feedground
management plan.
I've said this before - this is not a feedground closure plan.
However, any number of options are on the table for the future of
elk feedground management if they are in line with the primary
objectives of the department. Game and Fish must be able to manage
elk in northwest Wyoming to mitigate disease transmission to cattle
and between elk and other wildlife species, reduce property damage,
maintain publicly supported elk population objectives and hunting
opportunity and manage competition with other species like mule
deer on critical winter-range habitats.
I encourage anyone who cares about Wyoming's elk to remain
engaged in this work. Wyoming is home to some of the most famous
and prestigious elk herds in the country, and these decisions will
certainly impact future management. Game and Fish will continue
to hold public meetings to hear additional input on the draft elk
management plan. The final draft is slated to be presented to the
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in the Spring of 2023
for approval.
More information on this public collaborative process, and a report
on what we heard from the public in Phase I, can be found at:
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Get-Involved/elk-feedgrounds.
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Get-Involved/elk-feedgrounds
September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2021
