- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,007
July 17, 2003
This news release posted at http://www.elkfoundation.org. For more information, contact Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Northwest Regional Vice President Rance Block, 509-226-0388. For more about the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, contact WDFW Public Information Officer Madonna Luers at 509-456-4073.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal, state, private funds help Washington acquire 'No. 1 priority' lands for steelhead, elk, other wildlife
CLARKSTON, Wash.--A host of fish and wildlife species, from threatened steelhead trout to huntable populations of Rocky Mountain elk, will benefit from a recent acquisition of 8,500 acres in southeast Washington. Several partners including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation helped with funding, and the property is now part of the Asotin Creek Wildlife Area owned and managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
The scenic land ranges from pristine streams to steep slopes and ridges up to 4,220 feet in elevation. It is a seasonal home for bald eagles, mule deer, bighorn sheep, bears, cougars, chukars, hawks and neo-tropical songbirds, and it contains crucial wintering grounds for 300-400 elk. About 12 miles southwest of Clarkston, Wash., the Asotin Creek lands are adjacent to the Umatilla National Forest, bringing the total acreage of that management area to 22,315 acres. The property is a vital watershed for salmonid recovery, and affords protection for key conservation targets in the Blue Mountains ecoregion, including steppe flora and fauna communities, riparian areas, and wetlands.
"This property has been our No. 1 priority for strategic protection of both fish and wildlife for a long time," said WDFW Director Jeff Koenings. "It helps us address the watershed management problems identified in the 1995 Asotin Creek Model Watershed Plan by connecting state and federal lands so that we can manage the middle and upper reaches of this watershed more cohesively."
The purchase was funded with federal, state and private dollars. Using Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) fish and wildlife mitigation funds, plus grants from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) of the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, WDFW teamed up with the nonprofit Elk Foundation to purchase the Smoothing Iron Ranch and George Creek parcels from J Bar S Inc. and the Schlee family of Asotin, Wash., for $3.5 million.
"This land purchase will be key to helping WDFW reach its goal of increasing the Asotin elk herd from 700 to 1,000 animals, while at the same time providing ability to control elk-caused crop damage on neighboring agricultural lands," said Rance Block, the Elk Foundation's northwest regional vice president.
For a full news release, go to: http://www.elkfoundation.org/press_release...3?articleid=204
Steve Wagner
Communications Director
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
2291 West Broadway
Missoula, MT 59808
800-CALL ELK, ext. 542
406-523-4542
swagner@rmef.org
This news release posted at http://www.elkfoundation.org. For more information, contact Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Northwest Regional Vice President Rance Block, 509-226-0388. For more about the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, contact WDFW Public Information Officer Madonna Luers at 509-456-4073.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal, state, private funds help Washington acquire 'No. 1 priority' lands for steelhead, elk, other wildlife
CLARKSTON, Wash.--A host of fish and wildlife species, from threatened steelhead trout to huntable populations of Rocky Mountain elk, will benefit from a recent acquisition of 8,500 acres in southeast Washington. Several partners including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation helped with funding, and the property is now part of the Asotin Creek Wildlife Area owned and managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
The scenic land ranges from pristine streams to steep slopes and ridges up to 4,220 feet in elevation. It is a seasonal home for bald eagles, mule deer, bighorn sheep, bears, cougars, chukars, hawks and neo-tropical songbirds, and it contains crucial wintering grounds for 300-400 elk. About 12 miles southwest of Clarkston, Wash., the Asotin Creek lands are adjacent to the Umatilla National Forest, bringing the total acreage of that management area to 22,315 acres. The property is a vital watershed for salmonid recovery, and affords protection for key conservation targets in the Blue Mountains ecoregion, including steppe flora and fauna communities, riparian areas, and wetlands.
"This property has been our No. 1 priority for strategic protection of both fish and wildlife for a long time," said WDFW Director Jeff Koenings. "It helps us address the watershed management problems identified in the 1995 Asotin Creek Model Watershed Plan by connecting state and federal lands so that we can manage the middle and upper reaches of this watershed more cohesively."
The purchase was funded with federal, state and private dollars. Using Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) fish and wildlife mitigation funds, plus grants from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) of the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, WDFW teamed up with the nonprofit Elk Foundation to purchase the Smoothing Iron Ranch and George Creek parcels from J Bar S Inc. and the Schlee family of Asotin, Wash., for $3.5 million.
"This land purchase will be key to helping WDFW reach its goal of increasing the Asotin elk herd from 700 to 1,000 animals, while at the same time providing ability to control elk-caused crop damage on neighboring agricultural lands," said Rance Block, the Elk Foundation's northwest regional vice president.
For a full news release, go to: http://www.elkfoundation.org/press_release...3?articleid=204
Steve Wagner
Communications Director
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
2291 West Broadway
Missoula, MT 59808
800-CALL ELK, ext. 542
406-523-4542
swagner@rmef.org
