Centralia Chronicle: New Elk Control Option Offered
From the Centralia Chronicle: The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has prescribed a solution for controlling the so-called South Rainier elk herd, considered a blessing by some in…
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe starts Roosevelt Elk Study
With an interest in the long-term sustainability of elk populations on the north Olympic Peninsula, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has started a three-year research project aimed at gathering baseline data of the elk herds that reside between the Elwha River and Clallam Bay.
The tribe has two key goals: To gather basic ecological information on the Roosevelt elk that live in the Elwha River region prior to deconstruction of the Elwha dams in 2012; And to develop methods for longer-term monitoring of these herds. This will allow the tribe to determine if the elk population is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable over time. This study will provide the tribe with information about seasonal elk movement patterns, habitat requirements, and population size and structure. (more…)
Feds pay Tulalips and others for poor salmon returns on Fraser River
The Daily Herald of Everett reported on the federal relief money given to tribes for the failure of the Fraser River sockeye fishery: The Tulalips and eight other local American…
Makah Tribe Helps Track and Capture Fisher Needing New Radio Collar
NEAH BAY — The 18 fishers reintroduced into Olympic National Park (ONP) earlier this year by wildlife biologists were expected to do some roaming. But few expected one of the weasel-like animals to journey nearly 60 miles from its Elwha River watershed release site to the Makah Tribe’s reservation in Neah Bay. Crossing mountains, rivers and busy roads, the fisher reached the Makah Reservation over a period of six months. (more…)
Puyallup Tribe opposes expanded hunt on weak elk herd
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is opposing a proposed expanded hunt on the fewer than 1,000-animal herd. To decrease the number of human and elk interactions, the State of Washington is proposing an expanded hunt on antlerless elk along state Route 12 between Packwood and Morton. An expanded harvest on the South Rainier elk herd could cause the weak elk population to crash. The herd's target population is more than 2,100, according to the tribal and state co-managers.
Healing of Hyas Creek From 1951 Fire Gets a Boost From Cooperative Effort
"There are only two anadromous fish-bearing tributaries in that portion of the South Fork Calawah drainage and Hyas Creek is one of them," said Phil DeCillis, fisheries biologist for USFS. "It had the least amount of wood per mile of the streams we surveyed, so it was important to get more in there. The tributaries are important refuge areas for fish."
SVH: Plans for Nooksack Herd Unveiled
The Skagit Valley Herald (subscription required) covered a Fish and Wildlife meeting last week in Mount Vernon:
State and tribal wildlife managers have tentatively agreed on a limited elk hunt of the Nooksack herd for the upcoming fall — the first hunt in at least a decade.
41 Elk Moved From St. Helens To North Cascades
OLYMPIA (October 8, 2003) — A cooperative effort to bolster a weak population of elk in the North Cascades resulted in the successful transfer of 41 animals from the Mount St. Helens area Oct. 4-5.
The elk relocation project, involving staff from Point Elliott treaty Indian tribes, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and volunteers, took place on WDFW’s St. Helens Wildlife Area east of Castle Rock.