Washington Public Meeting Scheduled June 26 to Discuss North Cascades Elk Herd
OutdoorHub 06.17.13
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is hosting a public meeting June 26 in Sedro-Woolley to discuss the elk population in the North Cascades and a process to update the management plan for the herd.
The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Sedro-Woolley Community Center, 703 Pacific Street.
During the meeting, state and tribal representatives will present an overview of current elk management and next steps for developing a North Cascades Elk Management Group, which will help guide the process to update the area’s elk management plan.
The North Cascades Elk Management Plan, last updated in 2002, is available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00772/ .
Russell Link, WDFW regional wildlife program manager, said the meeting is a great opportunity for people to provide input on managing the North Cascades elk herd, including ways to minimize property damage and public safety risks associated with the animals.
“We would also like to discuss bringing members of the community together to establish an elk management group that would assist with updating the management plan for the herd,” Link said.
Similar collaborative efforts in other areas of the state have been effective, said Link. Most recently, WDFW helped establish the Upper Snoqualmie Valley Elk Management Group, which has brought neighbors together to resolve elk related issues in the Snoqualmie/North Bend area. More information on that group is available at http://www.snoqualmievalleyelk.org .
The North Cascades elk herd numbers some 1,200 to 1,400 animals and is spread out over a large area of Skagit and Whatcom Counties. In the Skagit Valley the herd ranges from Sedro-Woolley to just east of Rockport.
