Boulder County reauthorizes Rabbit Mountain and Red Hill elk management plans, extends program oversight to five years

The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners voted May 20 to reauthorize elk management plans for the Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain and for Red Hill, extending program authorization to five years and delegating routine operational decisions to county staff in consultation with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

John DeCoste, the elk management coordinator and wildlife biologist with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, gave an eight-year status update on both plans and urged reauthorization. DeCoste said the Rabbit Mountain program, first approved by commissioners in 2017, aimed to reestablish seasonal migration and reduce impacts to high-biodiversity areas, with a target of 30 resident elk year-round and up to 70 including seasonal migrants. He told the commissioners the program has reduced concentrated use and vegetation damage: “The program is not a calling program. We're not trying…