Bison and Elk Plan

November 28, 2001 6-10 p.m. Holiday Inn

Riverton, Wyoming
 

Meeting Objectives:

• Define Areas of Agreement by management issue
• Identify a range of potential alternatives to be considered in the EIS

This meeting started with a large group discussion of Potential Areas of Agreement (brainstorming
below) and then Alternatives Development for the EIS. Then the meeting broke into small group
brainstorming documented below. A representative from each small group presented the information
that they developed to the large group. From the Possible Areas of Agreement brainstorming earlier,
several possible areas of agreement were suggested. They were discussed by the whole group at the
end of the meeting and are listed below, noted with an asterisk.

Assumes management is capable of keeping #s high enough – going to have change

Maintain current numbers by focusing on range

* Continue to hunt elk with reasonable rate of success

Need to feed elk to maintain numbers

Maintain 7,500 with feed max elk MOU on NER

Bison numbers also need to be considered

Who makes the final decision in the NEPA process?

Include Wyoming Game and Fish in decision-making process

Wyoming Game and Fish currently play consultative role

Manage bison herd so it does not deplete amount of elk wintering on the refuge

* Denotes area of agreement

One Small Group broke the information down into Potential Alternatives, listed below

Potential Alternative 1

• Do more habitat studies, irrigation and ecosystem
• Consider integrity of aquatic ecosystem in irrigation
• Ecological alternative that does not begin with status quo, but considers the entire
•     ecosystem – food base, predators, consumers
• Maintain even numbers of grizzly bears and wolves

• Cut back on bison numbers, make bison hunting licenses more affordable for
•    WY residents
• Sell calf/cow permits only so that WY resident can afford
• Provide hunting access to disabled and elderly in GTNP
• Don’t allow ranchers to graze bison on Federal land

• Decisions made by Wyoming people
• Consider less management as an option

• Do periodic studies on elk/bison for diseases
• Keep feeding as an option if feed not needed, save until next year or sell it
• Potential areas of agreement obscure critical issues and disagreements
• Alternatives must address problems management has created ie supplemental feeding
• No Bison in NER, How will disease be controlled if in NER?
• Attempt to segregate bison and elk through feeding
• Use hunting to control distribution of elk and bison
• Alternatives must address sustainable level of hunting
• Ease hunting restrictions on bison to control numbers
• Address impact on other feed grounds
• Address economic impact of decline in elk population
• Include management plan for predators
• Reduce number of grizzly bears
• Maintain and improve quality of habitat
• Include burning and timbering as habitat management tools
• Allow hunting in YNP
• Allow hunting of grizzly bears
• Allow cow tags on bull elk tag
• Allow black bear on elk tag
• Better diversity of hunting areas (Teton Park) in order to maximize herd distribution
• Need to consider hunting economics, livelihood, recreation and culture
• Study the role of habitat expansion in disease control
• Direct public involvement in planning team, analysis, execution and monitoring
• Study vaccination as a way to control disease
• Study the effect of disease control on herd management of bison through hunting
• Alternative should agree with MOU re: through proper management of elk, no more
•      than 7,500 elk on refuge
• Examine impact of high or increasing densities of elk and bison on refuge, and on moose
• Maintain current diversity of animals on refuge and surrounding areas
• Historical use of hunting should continue for elk and bison as management tool
• Keep bison in the park (not agreed by all in group)
• Spread bison out on Forest Service land or form some type of feeding program on
•      Forest lands
• Maintain 7,500 elk on FEED on refuge as agreed in 1974 with Wyoming Game and Fish
• Natural forage is maximized so that animals are dispersed as much as possible to minimize
•     disease and use supplemental feeding as needed, could be done through irrigation or
•     other means to promote natural forage
• Continue existing disease monitoring currently occurring on NER and continue WGFD
•     brucellosis vaccination program or find better vaccination program

• Feeders deployed by NER must take time to move feed lines to different location to
•     encourage animal dispersal – especially during Feb, March, April when abortions are
•     more likely to occur, will reduce chances of brucellosis infections
• Do not allow current grazing allotments to convert to bison, would cause more disease
•     transmission and habitat competition
• Hunting of both bison and elk should be maintained to achieve population goals
• Special consideration given to treaty tribes to hunt bison and elk
• Let interested Native American tribes remove bison, construct traps and build holding
•     pens on NER, they pay for the development
• All agencies establish a "no net loss" of winter habitat
• Agencies should monitor biodiversity (flora and fauna) regarding impacts on NER
• Look at long-term degradation of woody habitats – ie. Long stem hay vs pellets,
•     an initiation of early elk feeding
• Cost-benefit analysis of free-range vs feeding of elk and bison
• Look at cost of feeding bison vs elk (3 elk:1 bison) – give preference to elk on NER
• Last alternative should be to reduce elk herd numbers
• GTNP should contribute to price of feeding elk and bison on NER
• Look at opportunities for bison outfitting trips and natural history trips
• Assess bison impact on degradation
• Look at opening more hunting in GTNP to control elk populations
• Help maintain healthy elk herd by researching/implementing vaccination on NER
•     continue existing monitoring programs on disease of concern
• For disease reduction, manage wildlife populations to maximize dispersion on winter
•     range - NER needs to get back into substantial farming practices to ensure the above
• Remove cattle on NF and GTNP
• Evaluate cattle management strategies on habitat depletion
• Agencies should continue habitat improvement studies and programs specifically look
•     into prescribed burns in the Gros Ventre
• An alternative that addresses the carrying capacity of the JH Elk herd and all wildlife
•     populations on available habitat
• Must consider carrying capacity of all wildlife and domestic animals competing for resources
• Treaty tribes and agencies are involved in process specific to bison
• MOU maximum of 7,500 on feed, does not include free-ranging elk
• No bison on NER 350-400 bison in Jackson bison herd
• Manage to maximize all available habitat for free-ranging wildlife populations
• Need to firm numbers in reference to "healthy" elk and bison herds
• Need to manage bison with hunting in mind
• Bison: need a number perhaps 300-400 as total herd size – how to keep them off of NER
• Manage antelope flats (burn) to create bison habitat (keep them off of the refuge)
• Vaccinate bison in the park set up health program
• Need predator management plan
• Refocus objectives of all game management agencies back to wildlife – away
•    from people and money
• Maintain 7,500 elk on feed in the refuge, healthy elk!
• Analyze what would happen on the NER if brucellosis is found in cattle herds in WY
• All refuge must remain refuge, regardless of elk populations
• Maintain irrigation system on NER and use it
• Spread feeding time and place
• Enhance elk habitat outside of the refuge, increase Aspen
• Print up contents of these lists, distribute to other participants, let all vote
• GTNP, Fish and Wildlife Service state specific date when the state of Wyoming
•     surrenders jurisdiction to them
• Want WY Game and Fish to take over mgmt of NER
• Hunting should be stated function
• Antler collection revenues go back to taking care of elk not into general fund
• Where does democracy come in here? Want the people of WY to have a say in this
• Want the G & F to have more say in setting seasons and numbers in GTNP
• Maintain feeding and sled rides for visitors to enjoy seeing the elk herd
• What do we feed to the predators when the elk herd is diminished?

• Administration Act of ’98 – Purpose elk supercedes mission (other wildlife)
•     Would like to plan to focus on elk – Zero bison on the refuge
• Any alternative should address human encroachment, housing developments
•     on elk habitat
• Elk should be fed when used 40 % of forage on NER let’s not wait until 75-80%
•     forage is gone

• WWF – focus less on numbers to feed – focus more on condition of forage
• Define management on condition of habitat over historic winter range –
•      Let habitat determine numbers
• Concern: will habitat be let go, therefore elk numbers go down by default
• Incorporate hunting of all public elk and bison on NER and hunting elk on GTNP
• Eliminate or reduce or segregate bison on range
• Bison fed on GTNP instead of NER
• Restore the 2,400 acres on NER that are currently not being irrigated. Improve habitat

• Use strain 19 vaccine of elk and bison must be continued until a better vaccine for elk
•      in developed. Use whatever best vaccine there is
• Elk feeders should make greater effort during Feb, March, April to spread out elk when
•      feeding – move to new snow!
• Don’t’ feed elk in sub-irrigated ground on S end of NER
• Harvesting bison is ok
• Economic impact on State of Wyoming and Jackson if #s of elk are reduced on NER
• Manage for sustainable, free-ranging healthy wildlife populations – includes teewty birds,
•     beavers, bison
• No net loss of winter range
• Wildlife of Wyoming held in a trust for Wyoming residents. Want Wyoming Game
•     and Fish to be sole voice in managing herds
• Differentiate between cattle and bison, they have different management concerns

• No domesticated bison in close proximity to GTNP and NER
• Phase out artificial feeding of big game animals over long-term if possible
• Maintain at all costs artificial feeding of elk on feed grounds
• USFWS should return to original boy scout contract – originally 80 % to feeding
•    equipment

@ = 7 agree, or 10 with some disclaimer
 
 

Issues

In focusing on forage and dispersal this should help disease problems

Do we want to feed them?

Yes if feed is necessary to maintain target number of 7,500

Natural forage is best, but feed is a good alternative when it is not available

Irrigation – It is possible to use colored pipe so that system fits in visually, investigate ways
to irrigate without causing visual disturbance

Finding plan for bison management

Refuge was developed for ELK – bison being there is part of connection – has been ok until
bison population "got out of control"

Putting bison and elk on the same management plan is a problem

Concern over time it will take to settle this

Bison are eating elk’s natural forage

Look for a balance in bison and elk populations
 

Compiled by Elaine Walsh
December 4, 2001

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