Town Crier
First elk occupancy agreement in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem finalized
EBS STAFF
PARADISE VALLEY — The Greater Yellowstone Coalition and The Property and Environment Research Center have partnered to execute the first elk occupancy agreement in the northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
An elk occupancy agreement is a voluntary agreement between wildlife interests and landowners to improve elk tolerance and conserve elk habitat.
Paradise Valley is a key location for essential winter range for a variety of wildlife, including elk, according to a Nov. 29 press release from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
The Paradise Valley ranch will keep livestock out of the 500-acre elk winter range area with approximately 1.25 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing and benefit both livestock and elk by helping to decrease brucellosis transmission.
The two groups partnered with a 500-acre Paradise Valley ranch that will keep livestock out of the elk winter range area with approximately 1.25 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing and benefit both livestock and elk by helping to decrease brucellosis transmission.
“This agreement offers a model of how private resources raised by wildlife interests can be partnered with the landowners who provide valuable wildlife habitat,” said PERC’s CEO, Brian Yablonski. “By addressing the costs associated with providing elk habitat, we can help keep these large private landscapes intact and provide valuable winter range for the elk—accomplishing both is our goal.”
