FWP holding elk management plan zoom meetings

From Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Montana’s Elk Management Plan Initial Guidance Citizens Group will meet via Zoom Nov. 19, Dec. 2–3, and Dec. 16–17.

The citizens group will provide initial guidance to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for the revision of Montana’s Elk Management Plan. This guidance will specifically focus on principles to guide the future of elk management in Montana.

The group will take public comment at the December meetings.

The meetings are open to the public and will be live streamed at http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/management/elk/citizensGroup.html . The Nov. 19 meeting is informational with presentations regarding elk and elk management in Montana. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. and topics include:

• Social science related to elk,

• Elk harvest surveys and trends,

• Elk population surveys and trends,

• Elk competition with mule deer and other ungulates,

• Brucellosis in elk: livestock impacts,

• Elk habitat, access, and distribution, and

• Carnivore impacts on elk and integrated carnivore-elk management.

The December meetings each begin at 9 a.m. To view the Elk Management Plan Initial Guidance Citizens Group meeting agendas, people can visit http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/management/elk/citizensGroup.html .

FWP ensures meetings are fully accessible to persons with special needs. To request arrangements, people can contact the Wildlife Division at 406-444-2612.

The Elk Management Plan Initial Guidance Citizens Group will disband after articulating elk management issues and developing guiding principles for FWP. The guiding principles developed by the group will be presented to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for more public review and adoption by the commission before FWP proceeds with Elk Management Plan development.