From a distance, it looked like a family reunion with dozens gathered in sunny, scenic eastern Idaho. In reality, many common bonds did indeed bring this group together.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation recently joined land managers, biologists, foresters, faculty and others for the College of Natural Resources Advisory Board’s 9th Annual University of Idaho President’s Tour. Participants gathered in Harriman State Park, south of Island Park and about a 45-minute drive from Yellowstone National Park.
The theme of the outing was linking recreation and natural resource management. Among the 11 invited speakers was RMEF Chief Conservation Officer Blake Henning (photo above) who covered a plethora of topics, including:
- RMEF’s core programs of land conservation & access, habitat stewardship, wildlife management & hunting heritage
- Lifetime conservation accomplishments
- Challenges to elk and elk management
- Elk demographics
- Advocacy for active forest management
- Predator vs. prey populations
- Increased usage of public lands since COVID-19
- Elk & mule deer migrations around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and eastern Idaho
Other topics were grazing, timber management, wildlife urban interface, fish and game management and the impacts of population dynamics on available resources in Idaho and more.
(Photo credit: University of Idaho Visual Productions, Melissa Hartley)