State to relocate 50 elk

Helicopters to be used for Wildlife project

N.S. NOKKENTVED, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, March 22, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Wildlife officials will crank up the helicopters again this weekend in an effort to complete an elk relocation project.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists plan to capture and relocate about 50 elk this weekend from one or more areas near Centralia Steam Plant, the Chehalis Valley or Willapa Bay.

Department biologists recently captured 55 elk along the Chehalis River. Five died as a result of the capture effort and 50 were relocated to the upper Green River drainage.

"Any death is a cause for concern," Wildlife spokesman Craig Bartlett said.

But the number of elk injured or killed has to be balanced against the reasons for the relocation.

The project goals are to rebuild the herd in the Green River game management unit and reduce the number of elk in the Chehalis Valley, he said.

Because of the number of residences in the Chehalis Valley, reducing elk numbers through increased hunting is dangerous and impractical, Bartlett said.

Some residents, however, have complained that Fish and Wildlife's capture-and-relocation effort has been intrusive and unannounced.

Fish and Wildlife officials say they also have received complaints from farmers about elk damage, particularly to fences. And officials have tried to notify property owners of capture operations, said Jack Smith, Region 6 wildlife manager.

To capture the animals, biologists dart them from helicopters. The darts contain an immobilizing drug. The tranquilized animals are given a medical checkup before being hauled to the release site.

The Roosevelt elk being relocated are native to Western Washington. They will boost the Green River herd of Rocky Mountain elk.

The two sub-species interbreed freely.

Some hunters are concerned that elk are being rounded up just so hunters in the Green River unit can shoot them. But Fish and Wildlife and Muckleshoot Tribe game managers have agreed to keep the season closed until the herd reaches at least 350 animals. And that's at least two years away. The goal for the unit is 500 animals.

N.S. Nokkentved covers the outdoors for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5445 and at nnokkent@olympia.gannett.com.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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