Eastern Elk, Other Wildlife Get $2.4 Million from RMEF, Partners

Posted on: Sep 03, 2024

MISSOULA, Mont. Good news for elk, whitetail deer, black bears, small mammals, wild turkey, grouse, songbirds and many other species.  

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation allocated $893,336 that leveraged an additional $1,528,310 from partners for 14 habitat enhancement, land conservation and access, and research projects in Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. 

Nearly 5,000 acres of wildlife habitat will be enhanced and more than 1,700 acres will be conserved including improved or expanded public access for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities, said RMEF Managing Director of Mission Operations Jenn Doherty. 

Project List: 

Kentucky 

·         Beaver Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) habitat enhancement and creation of wildlife water sources 

·         Create diverse early successional habitat on the Daniel Boone National Forest 

·         Forest thinning to improve forage on private land in the states elk range 

·         Forest thinning on Kentucky Division of Forestry land 

·         Invasive plant and prescribed burning treatments on the Cumberland Forest WMA, a 54,636-acre landscape RMEF helped conserve/open to public access in December 2023 

North Carolina 

·         Restoration of meadows and forage enhancement of Cataloochee Valley meadows within Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) 

·         Purchase GPS collars to support ongoing elk population estimation research and herd monitoring 

·         Supply funding for potential 406-acre land conservation and access project near Pisgah National Forest and GSMNP 

·         Support research to determine the impacts of biochar, a carbon-rich material added to soil, on forage productivity 

Pennsylvania 

·         Treatment for wooly adelgid, an invasive insect that attacks and kills hemlock trees 

Tennessee 

·         Three treatments in three separate locations on the North Cumberland WMA to maintain early seral habitat and create or enhance new wildlife openings 

·         Supply funding for potential 1,322-acre land conservation and access project to expand the North Cumberland WMA 

Project partners include the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Pennsylvania Game Commission and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, among others. 

In 2023, coalition partners allocated $842,662 for 14 similar projects across the three Southern Appalachian states mentioned above as well as Virginia and West Virginia. 

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: 

Founded in 1984 and fueled by hunters, RMEF has conserved more than 8.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of Americas hunting heritage. Discover why Hunting Is Conservation  at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.