Some fear feeding elk may increase disease

JACKSON, Wyo. – Conservationists are voicing concern that a planned federal study on permitting state-run elk feed grounds in national forests will sidestep public worries about wildlife disease.

“They’re stubbornly ignoring the elephant in the middle of the living room,” said Tim Preso, an Earthjustice attorney, who represents conservationists battling the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the state over elk feeding. “The whole reason people care about the feed grounds is the wildlife disease consequence.”

The Forest Service this past week published a “notice of intent” to study a request from the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission for a 20-year permit to run elk winter feeding operations at seven sites on the forest. The notice triggered a 45-day public comment period, which began last Monday.

Bridger-Teton spokeswoman Mary Cernicek said the Forest Service is still defining what the study will include.

“Part of scoping is to determine what the significant issues are,” she said. “Once we get the (public) comment back, the forest supervisor will determine which of the issues we’re going to look at in the scope of our study.”

Preso said he’s not optimistic the Forest Service will include disease in the analysis. The public notice makes no mention of disease. Instead, the notice mentions the spread of noxious weeds as an example of the types of issues to be considered.

Chronic wasting disease infects deer and elk. Although the fatal brain-wasting disease has not surfaced on the feed grounds, wildlife managers continually monitor for the disease and have said it could reach the feed grounds in the future.

Wyoming operates 22 elk feed grounds in northwestern Wyoming in winter to keep wildlife away from cattle feedlines and to help elk survive the winter.

Critics say artificially concentrating animals on feed grounds increases the spread of diseases, such as brucellosis and chronic wasting disease.

Brucellosis exposure rates among feed ground elk average 30 percent compared with less than 3 percent among free-ranging elk.

But proponents of feeding say closing feed grounds would generate conflicts with cattle and result in an unacceptable drop in elk numbers.

Earthjustice has filed a lawsuit on behalf of three conservation groups arguing that the Forest Service was allowing feeding without proper permitting. The feeding operations have been under way for decades and predate environmental law requiring an impact analysis.