SCI Continues Wyoming Elk Advocacy

For years, SCI has advocated for sensible management of Wyoming’s iconic elk herds, which require supplemental forage when winter snows are deep and the elks’ natural range isn’t sufficient.  Many elk would starve (and have starved) without supplemental feeding.  In 2019 and 2020, SCI jointly intervened with multiple outfitter and guide associations in two cases to defend the use of supplemental winter feeding.  Fortunately for the elk, the feedgrounds have not been closed.  More recently, at the end of August, SCI submitted public comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding development of an updated Bison and Elk Management Plan for the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming.  Supplemental winter feeding is a key issue for management of those elk, as the National Elk Refuge was the original feedground.  Last week, SCI responded to a survey from the State regarding management of State-operated elk feedgrounds.  SCI supports the State’s draft management plan as it maintains robust elk herd objectives, commits to providing invaluable hunting opportunities, and provides for long-term adaptive management to control the spread of disease and naturally reduce reliance on feedgrounds via habitat enhancement projects.  SCI, along with its partners, will continue to advocate for management that does not unnecessarily abandon the elk to starve in Wyoming’s harsh winters.