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Yellowstone Ecosystem Action Alert

Thanks to You, Our National Parks Are Still Protected

Hybrid Elk Escape, Threatening Yellowstone's Wild Herd

America's National Parks Spared From Bad Policy

National park advocates let out a sign of relief in late August when the conservation mandate of the National Park Service was upheld.

At issue was a final policy emphasizing conservation of natural and cultural resources over recreation, when they are in conflict. This ended a yearlong debate over National Park Service management and guiding philosophy.

You may recall that this revision process was kick-started last summer when Paul Hoffman, a Department of Interior appointee, attempted to rewrite the Park Service’s policies, downplaying the agency’s preservation mandate. Instead, Hoffman recommended emphasizing public enjoyment and commercial exploitation of park resources in his version. When these intentions surfaced, dismay and outrage rang out across the country. The Park Service received 45,000 comments from the public. Many thanks to all of you who sent letters and emails on this policy—your voices were heard!

Read more about the National Park Service Management Policy rewrite on our website. In Yellowstone, this would have had bearing primarily on how people recreate in winter in the park.

100 Escaped Hybrid Elk Threaten Yellowstone’s Wild Herd

Wild Elk live the good life compared to their game-farm cousins.

Over one hundred captive elk broke free from Idaho’s Chief Joseph High Fence shooting pen just outside Yellowstone National Park. These domesticated elk, which are known to be crossbred with red deer, threaten to hybridize wild herds of Yellowstone elk. Unfortunately, it is believed that the elk were not properly tagged, monitored, or reported as escaped, making it near impossible to round them up.

The escaped animals from the “shooter bull” operation could ruin the genetic makeup of elk in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, as well as exponentially increase the risk of disease transmittal such as chronic wasting disease and tuberculosis, spelling disaster for the wild herds. Not only is penned shooting unethical, but with a run-away situation like this, prized elk hunting opportunities could disappear entirely. GYC will be working with the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus Advisory Council to enforce current laws and regulations governing these types of operations and pass legislation to ban shooting pens altogether in Idaho.

Learn more about game farms, the risks they pose, and the escaped Idaho elk on our website.

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