xDraft Elk Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement

The purpose of this EIS is to develop and implement an elk management strategy compatible with the long-term protection and preservation of park resources. This EIS is needed to address the rapid increase of the Park elk population from the 47 reintroduced to the South Unit of the Park in 1985, to the approximately 900 that occur there today. Larger populations of elk could, over the long-term, negatively affect plant communities and other resources as a result of overgrazing. Large elk populations could also negatively affect other herbivores present in the South Unit by competing for forage. Other considerations include land use and users outside the Park, including livestock grazing, hunting, and agriculture; visitors to the Park; and the ability of the Park to effectively manage resources.

Upon conclusion of the plan/EIS and decision-making process, one of the alternatives, or a combination of actions from multiple alternatives, would become the elk management plan and guide future actions for a period of 15 years or until conditions necessitate the plan be revised.

The National Park Service will accept comments on the DEIS from the public for 90 days, beginning December 19, 2008, and concluding March 19, 2009. You may mail comments to the name and address below or click the "Comment On Document" link on the left to submit comments electronically.

Before including your address, telephone number, electronic mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be aware that your entire comment (including your personal identifying information) may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Document Content:

Summary, Contents, Chapters 1-2   (5.5 MB, PDF file) Chapters 3-5, Glossary, Acronyms, References, Index   (5.4 MB, PDF file) Appendices A-F, Attachment 1   (5.9 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of Acrobat Reader from Adobe Systems.