Restoring Elk Country - Washington's Olympic Peninsula

Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is among the most green, lush landscapes in the entire United States, but that’s not necessarily a good thing for the Roosevelt elk that live there.

The rainforest climate produces plenty of vegetation but the specific plant types lack key protein and minerals.

Plus, many forest stands are overly thick and dense largely due to decades of fire suppression along with past timber harvest practices that produced an abundance of even-aged stands. All that translates into very little or poor nutritional forage for elk, blacktail deer and other wildlife.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided funding for a recent project aimed at improving habitat on National Forest system lands in the Upper Sitkum watershed on the northwest side of the peninsula.

That’s where crews created openings across 200 acres of young, densely stocked forest stands by thinning trees to allow sunlight to reach the forest floor below.

They stacked the slash into piles thus creating habitat for small mammals, amphibians and reptiles.

Crews then spread native grass, forb and shrub seed on the bare floor that not only improves habitat for song birds and even insect pollinators like bees and butterflies, but it creates nutritional forage for elk and it prevents the spread of invasive non-native plants and weeds.

RMEF’s habitat enhancement work on the Olympic Peninsula dates back to 2002.

Since then, more than a quarter million dollars in RMEF funding leveraged nearly $1.3 million more in partner funding from the Olympic National Forest and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, among others, to carry out 31 projects across nearly 20,000 acres of Roosevelt elk habitat.

These projects range from noxious weed treatments to meadow restoration to travel management within sensitive habitats to fertilization to provide plants with essential nutrients diluted from the soil by rainfall.

Restoring elk country is core to RMEF’s Managed Lands Initiative.

Since 1984, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners completed more than 12,000 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects that protected or enhanced more than 7.5 million acres of wildlife habitat.

[kfrenette]

I love that area! Great to see how we're managing land!

[jaymontgomery]

Thanks for helping the Roosevelt Elk!

[yohon]

You should try a segment doing the Roosevelt elk in Pe Ell Southwest Washington area. The elk here having the issue of hoof rot!

[eecforeststewardship]

human development, bad timber management, and a lack of key predator species has caused habitat depredation for the elk and all wildlife

[dottiscamprunamuck]

Our forest are like this all over, because of the logging done years ago. It never grew back right. Private property is a lot better then most public, because owners have understood the concept of thinning. Not clear cutting like has been done on public lands.

[samcyphers]

Does anyone know what song that is? I love it

[scottjensen]

Until we get wolves back then it will be hard to find one

[Blacktailhunter]

Why are you guys worrying about habitat and food when almost all Roosevelt’s in the state are suffering from hoof rot. Please do something about it a video not many people no about it and we need to spread awareness hoof rot has spread into Idaho and Oregon and is affecting both Rocky Mountain elk and Roosevelt’s

[PrimetimeNut]

Let’s ruin a forest because we already destroyed the natural elk land in the lowlands. I don’t buy the explanation at the start.