KDFWR Wins 2023 Wildlife Restoration Award for Reintroducing Elk in Southeast Kentucky – NKyTribune

The Wildlife Society presents the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources with its 2023 Wildlife Restoration Award in recognition of the reintroduction and management of elk in southeastern Kentucky.

Kentucky’s elk program has been hailed as one of the most successful wildlife restoration programs in U.S. history. From 1997 to 2002, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife removed 1,541 elk from six western states, establishing what is now the largest elk herd east of the Rockies.Kentucky’s elk herd offers the most extensive opportunities to hunt or view the species in the eastern United States

In 2022, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife completed the final important step in elk recovery operations, moving 43 trapped animals from neighboring counties to McCreary County, the last year-round presence of the species in the designated elk area County of habitat. All 16 counties within the state’s elk range now have healthy and sustainable populations.

“I am extremely proud of our staff, current and former commission members, and partners like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and local government officials for their work,” said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Rich Storm. Support our Elks program in a variety of ways. Storm added that this award is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved in elk restoration efforts over the years, from bold ideas in the mid-1990s to today’s efforts that continue to grow through research, habitat improvements and public engagement.

About 1850, Kentucky’s elk were extirpated—extinct. Like most other large mammals, the species was driven to extinction by rapid habitat loss, commercial development, and unregulated hunting during its westward expansion.

Science-based wildlife conservation enables state and federal wildlife agencies like the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Service to proactively restore many previously extinct or endangered wildlife species. In addition to elk, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, otters, bald eagles and peregrine falcons are the subject of other highly successful wildlife restoration programs completed in Kentucky in recent decades.

(Photo via KDFWR)

Kentucky’s current State Wildlife Action Plan, which lists more than 500 species of fish, wildlife and native plants as being of greatest need for protection, is a blueprint for restoring the Bluegrass State’s most endangered flora and fauna. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife hopes to reverse the trajectory of these species through targeted partnerships and targeted recovery activities. Recent wildlife restoration efforts include native freshwater mussels and the largest salamander in Kentucky.

The award is presented in November at the Wildlife Society’s annual meeting in Louisville. The honor recognizes the Wildlife Recovery Program established under the Pittman-Robertson Act to provide critical federal funding to help support the work of state wildlife agencies.

The Wildlife Society is an international organization for wildlife professionals. The association provides professional certification to wildlife biologists who meet rigorous college education standards and have proven experience in wildlife conservation or research. It also publishes important research journals and professional newsletters, advocates for public policies consistent with its mission, and supports professional development through its conferences and programs.

Hunting in Kentucky generates more than $1.3 billion in economic benefits annually. Elk hunting expenditures alone generate an economic impact worth more than $3.5 million annually to the local economy. In 2023, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife issued nearly 600 elk hunting licenses to selected applicants through the annual random hunting lottery. Elk hunters travel from all over Kentucky and other locations across the country to scout and hunt.

The mission of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is to preserve, protect and enhance Kentucky’s fish and wildlife resources and to provide excellent opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, shooting sports, wildlife viewing and related activities . The agency is funded primarily by user fees such as hunting and fishing licenses, boat registrations and related federal grants. Interested citizens provide funds to directly support Kentucky’s vulnerable wildlife that are under threat through the Kentucky Wildlife Membership. For more information, visit fw.ky.gov.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources