Elk Project in Great Smoky Mountains National Park ...

October 19, 2005

Biologists at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have set up two public meetings to get input on the Park’s proposal to extend the experimental elk release project by up to 2 years.

Scientists at the Park and at The University of Tennessee say that as the original 5-year experimental period nears an end this December, there are still information gaps that will delay a National Park Service decision regarding the future of elk in the Smokies.

According to Park Wildlife Biologist Kim Delozier, “After 5 years the number of elk in the Park is still relatively small – only about 50 adult elk plus from 3 to possibly 7 calves born this season.  Given that we originally released a total of 52 animals during the two releases in 2001 and 2002, the population is still small enough that a single event could eliminate them all.”

“This small number had also meant that the research data on elk movements, mortality and human interaction has been so limited that we do not feel that we have enough data to support a long-term decision,” Delozier said.

“The other concern is that of elk born in the Park since the herd’s arrival, fully 75 percent were males, so that future population growth will be slow at best.”  Delozier continued, “Our original plan was to bring in up to 75 to 90 elk in three releases, but because of a ban on importing elk from Canada and a lack of available elk from approved domestic source herds the third year, we have only had two releases.  If possible we would like to arrange for a third batch of elk to be released sometime during the 2-year extension, preferably a group made up mostly of females.”

Under requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Park did an Environmental Assessment, including public input opportunities, to support the original 5-year experimental release. Under NEPA, additional public input is required before the experiment can be extended.  The original 1999 Environmental Assessment (EA) on the elk program is available at: www.nps.gov/grsm/pphtml/documents.html.  Other than the proposed 2-year extension, no changes are proposed in any of the management actions outlined in the EA.