1. Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest Canyon Lakes Ranger District
Elk Management Issues and Factors

2. Presentation Overview
Colorado Parks and Wildlife management
Animal/Population management – direct
USFS elk management
Management Indicator Species, but more focus on ecosystem health and TES and other MIS species. Habitat management and multi-use land management activities.
NPS management
“Natural processes” management
Trophic cascades effects
Examples of natural disturbances and management actions that impact elk habitat

3. Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests

5. Elk winter and summer ranges

6. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Elk Management Plans
Red Feather-Poudre Canyon Herd (GMUs 7, 8, 9, 19 & 191) – November 2009
Set population objective of (slight increase in current herd estimate of 3750 in 2008, and increase from previous objective of 3300). Estimated 4140 in 2011.
Saint Vrain Herd (GMU 20) – May 2007
Retained population objective of (will need to reduce from 3400 elk in 2005 by hunter harvest; 4400 elk in 1999). Estimated 2470 in 2011.
CPW

7. Elk Management on Arapaho-Roosevelt NF
Management Indicator Species for Young to Mature Forest Structural Stages
Forest Plan management direction for “habitat effectiveness” (road/trail densities)
Seasonal timing restrictions on activities
Habitat improvement projects (Rx burn, road decom/closures, fuels reduction, timber harvest)
But, emphasis on Threatened, Endangered, and FS Sensitive (TES) species and ecosystem health
FS manages habitat, CPW manages animals

8. Elk Management in Rocky Mountain N. P.
No hunting
Absence of main elk predator (wolves)
Impacts to aspen, willow, and cottonwood (and other habitats, e.g. aquatic systems)
Elk viewing important draw to RMNP, and also to Estes Park

9. “Trophic Cascades” effect in Yellowstone National Park (Lamar River Basin study and others)
70-year absence of main predator on elk (wolves)
Pre-wolf reintroduction, elk populations very high (15,000)
Long-term impacts to aspen, willow, and cottonwood from elk browsing
Wolf reintroduction in 1995 and 1996
Decrease in elk numbers (6,000) and change in elk behavior (“ecology of fear”) - more dispersed habitat use by elk
Increase in aspen, cottonwood, and willow habitat
Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership formed
2004 – Ramp up hazardous fuels treatments
Formed the Larimer County Coordinating Group
Larimer County Wildfire Safety (now Emergency Services)
Colorado State Forest Service
RMNP
US Forest Service
Among other things, we tackled a county-wide fuels assessment to identify fuels mgt. opportunities and most importantly – prioritize…

10. “Trophic Cascades” effect in Yellowstone National Park (more)
Reappearance/increase in beaver colonies (1 to 12)
Positive impacts on stream and fish habitat
Decrease in coyotes
Increase in small mammals (voles), especially near wolf dens
Increase in red fox (and scavengers)
Increase in riparian and aspen-associated songbirds (e.g. common yellowthroat, warbling vireo, song sparrow)
After 15 years, still early stages of ecosystem recovery
Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership formed
2004 – Ramp up hazardous fuels treatments
Formed the Larimer County Coordinating Group
Larimer County Wildfire Safety (now Emergency Services)
Colorado State Forest Service
RMNP
US Forest Service
Among other things, we tackled a county-wide fuels assessment to identify fuels mgt. opportunities and most importantly – prioritize…

11. “Trophic Cascades” effect in Rocky Mountain National Park?
Same impacts to willow, cottonwood, and aspen in RMNP from long-term browsing by high elk populations in absence of wolves
Similar impacts to hardwoods (cottonwood and bur oak) documented in Wind Cave NP (SD), indicating Great Plains ecosystems may have been altered by same processes (high levels of browsing by wild ungulates [and livestock] after removal of large carnivores)
Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership formed
2004 – Ramp up hazardous fuels treatments
Formed the Larimer County Coordinating Group
Larimer County Wildfire Safety (now Emergency Services)
Colorado State Forest Service
RMNP
US Forest Service
Among other things, we tackled a county-wide fuels assessment to identify fuels mgt. opportunities and most importantly – prioritize…

12. Impacts to aspen from long-term browsing

13. Impacts to willow from long-term browsing

14. Natural Disturbances and Elk Habitat

15. Management Actions and Elk Habitat

16. Sheep Creek Prescribed Burn

17. Fuels Reduction
Before and After: Fuels Reduction Project

18. Project Planning Project Purpose and Need Hazardous Fuels
Wildlife Habitat Improvement
Watershed Restoration / Protection
Timber Production
Projects typically have different purposes…although most projects that we plan have a combination of purposes, including…
Because of our Front Range location, however, most vegetation management projects lean heavily to hazardous fuels reduction

19. This is our proposed action for Elkhorn which has a little bit of everything
Our strategy to do fuels treatments near values at risk as well as change fire behavior across the landscape
This also has a wildlife habitat improvement project – Rx Burn for Bighorn Sheep habitat
Also some recreation enhancement – Christmas tree area – provide for Christmas trees for the next years
And helps keep our timber sale program viable

20. Map showing mechanical treatments that have been accomplished (in red) and planned and implemented prescribed burns in blue.
The large wildfires show up as hash marks
Primary purpose of this map is to show where we have focused implementation close to communities (Estes Park, Red Feather Lakes, Poudre Canyon, Lower Buckhorn Canyon)
Hand-off to James White who will take a more in-depth look at prescribed fire planning and implementation

21. Questions?