Elko County advisory board petitions commission to reopen elk-management subplans

The Elko County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife voted to petition the Nevada State Wildlife Commission to open and review two elk-management subplans covering Western Elko County and the Wells area.

Board member Justin French made the motion to petition the commission to open and review the Elk Management subplans for Western Elko County and the Wells Elk Management Plan; Wyatt Mesner seconded. The motion passed with all members present voting in favor (Justin French, Wyatt Mesner and Joel McConnell).

Nevada Department of Wildlife representative Scott Roberts told the board the decision to reopen plans can follow a range of approaches. "The board can petition the commission to open up one of these subplans or all of these subplans," Roberts said, describing options that include a county-level review or unit-by-unit revisions. He noted the department is also revising the statewide elk-management plan and that the two processes could be coordinated.

Roberts reviewed the history of the local documents: many subplans were written in the 1990s and early 2000s and were meant to be reviewed on five- or 10-year cycles that were not observed. He cited the Wells Resource Management Plan and other county subplans that have not been updated on schedule. "If you read the 1997 statewide management plan, it talks about annual reviews, which is almost laughable at this point," Roberts said. He added the department has collected more telemetry and distribution data since the subplans were written, information many speakers said should be used in any update.

Public commenters and sportsmen urged the board to press the commission to act. Mike Stevens, who asked the board to consider initiating the process, told members he has waited years for state action and urged Elko County to "put pressure on the State Wildlife Commission." Don Cleveland, representing Elko Bighorns Unlimited, said the subplans (some last reviewed in 1996, 2003 and 2007) are out of date and that newer movement and telemetry data support revising population objectives.

Outfitters, ranchers and hunters in the room described observed declines in elk in several unit groups and called for revised population objectives and more hunting opportunity. Riley Manzoni, who said he represents Kirk Creek Outfitters, described reduced elk sightings in units he hunts and urged the county to seek changes. Several other commenters — including Jeremy Fry, Carter Stevens and Todd Comston — voiced similar support for opening the plans for review.

Board members and staff discussed whether to ask the commission first to allow Elko County to revise subplan boundaries before reopening unit-level plans. Some members worried that starting with boundary changes could slow the process; others argued county-level review could be more efficient. Roberts said the commission would name a technical review team if it accepts a petition and that local stakeholders would be incorporated into the process.

The board's motion asks that the petition cover the Western Elko County and Wells elk-management plans. After the commission accepts a petition, Roberts said, the commission would appoint a technical review team and the departmental review process would proceed and return to local levels for further input.

Board members and commenters repeatedly emphasized the scale of data now available compared with the 1990s and early 2000s and urged active local participation if the plans are opened. The motion passed; the board closed public comment and moved on to the next agenda item.