The Pennsylvania Game Commission has released a draft of its new Elk Management Plan, a document that, when adopted, will guide the agency’s elk management program through 2025.
The plan is in draft form and available to view at www.pgc.pa.gov. It can be accessed through a link in the Quick Clicks section.
The 2020-2025 Elk Management Plan focuses on maintaining a healthy and sustainable elk population, creating quality habitat and employing strategies for mitigating elk-human conflicts.
In addition, there are goals related to educating and informing an interested public about elk and elk management. The new plan also highlights several research needs including methods of estimating populations and surveying hunter opinions about elk management.
“Wildlife management is an adaptive science and this new plan builds on strategies and information gathered over the past 30 years to direct us in managing Pennsylvania’s elk population for the next five years,” said Game Commission elk biologist Jeremy Banfield.
Comments about the plan will be accepted from the public through Feb. 21, 2020, and can be emailed to elkmanagementplancomments@pa.gov or sent by mail to: Elk Management Plan, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg PA 17110-9797.
A summary of public comments received, and any changes made in response to the comments, will be included in the final version of the Elk Management Plan, which will be presented to the Game Commission’s Board of Commissioners for approval at the board’s April meeting.
