Safari Club International (SCI) and the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association (WYOGA) applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the National Elk Refuge Bison and Elk Management Plan. The draft EIS advances an adaptive management approach that protects one of western Wyoming's most important elk herds, recognizes hunting as an essential conservation tool, and avoids unnecessary starvation and suffering among Jackson elk.
For more than a century, the National Elk Refuge has sustained elk whose historic winter range has been diminished by human development. The Service and the Wyoming Fish and Game Department rely on supplemental winter feeding when necessary to prevent widespread starvation and reduce conflicts with private landowners. SCI and WYOGA have consistently supported maintaining this adaptive feeding program until sufficient alternative winter habitat is available.
Throughout the EIS development process, SCI and WYOGA have represented sportsmen, outfitters, guides, and other stakeholders committed to conserving the iconic Jackson elk herd and protecting the significant economic benefits generated by elk hunting and wildlife tourism.
The draft EIS recognizes both the importance of the elk herd and the need to address challenges associated with elk concentration on the Refuge, including the risk of the spread of brucellosis and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Rather than imposing a rigid end to supplemental feeding, the preferred alternative seeks to reduce elk congregation over the next decade through a combination of potential management and feeding adjustments as well as targeted hunting.
"SCI is pleased to see the Service embracing adaptive management and proven conservation tools, including regulated hunting, to maintain healthy elk herds in western Wyoming," said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. "Wildlife managers should not accept mass starvation and suffering based on arbitrary criteria and speculation. Hunters have long championed science-based wildlife management, and regulated hunting remains the most effective and responsible tool for managing wildlife populations."
"Everyone agrees the status quo is not sustainable in light of emerging challenges such as CWD," said WYOGA President Dustin Stetter. "At the same time, ending supplemental winter feeding without a credible alternative would have serious consequences for elk, hunters, wildlife watchers, and the regional economy. WYOGA appreciates that the Service is relying on adaptive management and hunting to achieve the best possible outcome."
SCI and WYOGA urge the Service to adopt a final EIS and Bison and Elk Management Plan that prioritizes herd health, reduces disease risks, expands hunting opportunities, and prevents unnecessary winter starvation.
About Safari Club International: Safari Club International is a global leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. Through advocacy, litigation, and education, SCI fights to promote the sustainable use of wildlife resources and to defend the rights of hunters. Visit www.safariclub.org today to join the mission.