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US Fish & Wildlife, county and state officials outline Rocky Flats elk management plan; public raises safety and contamination questions
Summary
U.S. Fish & Wildlife presented a plan to reduce an overabundant elk population at Rocky Flats through a Hunt Management Plan and special hunts with Colorado Parks and Wildlife; presenters cited herd-health, chronic wasting disease risk and vehicle collisions and proposed refuge-specific regulations and sampling; members of the public asked about radionuclide testing and safe hunting practices.
David Lucas, refuge manager and project leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, briefed the Boulder County advisory committee on a proposed Hunt Management Plan for Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge aimed at reducing an overabundant elk population, improving herd and habitat health and lowering human safety risks.
Lucas said habitat-condition and carrying-capacity analyses indicate Rocky Flats and the larger management unit support more animals than the landscape can sustainably carry. He described monitoring and collaring work that maps elk movement, noted a substantial population shift after the December 2021 Marshall Fire and reported recent survey and sampling efforts. Lucas cited a…
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