Pacific Northwest Research Station

Elk Habitat Selection in Western Oregon and Washington: Models for a New Century

The elk modeling team hosted the second and final Westside elk habitat modeling workshop over two days – Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6 – at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Portland.

Agenda

On Tuesday, over 100 attendees listened to a full day’s slate of presentations (see links at right) describing the project background, modeling methods, the final models and results of their validation, model application in example landscapes, and a project summary. The afternoon’s presentations included talks by project “beta testers,” who had worked with the modeling team to “test drive” the models in their home offices and then applied the models to on-the-ground projects in their own areas. On Wednesday, a smaller group of modeling enthusiasts returned for a hands-on demonstration of the suite of “toolboxes” used to apply the elk nutrition and habitat use models on the landscape.

A prospective outline of the modeling project has been submitted to Wildlife Monographs and received editorial approval of the subject matter for potential publication. The modeling team plans to submit the completed manuscript in the fall of 2011 for formal review by the journal. Please visit this website for future updates and information, including a final User’s Manual for the elk nutrition and habitat use models.

Project Update

Model selection and validation have been completed for the Westside elk habitat models. A project status update is now available.

Workshop 2010

The first of two planned workshops, “Elk Habitat Selection in Western Oregon and Washington: Models for a New Century,” was held on April 19-20, 2010 at the LaSells Stewart Center at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR.

Agenda

Presentations

Over 120 biologists and land managers from a variety of State, Federal, Tribal, academic, and private organizations gathered for two days to learn about new approaches to modeling elk habitat selection in western Oregon and Washington. Members of the inter-agency team conducting this project described the background of the work and shared draft modeling results and example management applications through a series of presentations (see links above). During a second day of break-out groups, the team received feedback about the model components and its applicability in Westside elk management.

A summary of the workshop findings is available. Please continue to check this website for the latest updates about the Westside elk habitat modeling project, including the second workshop, and the Blue Mountains elk habitat modeling project currently underway.

Background

Existing elk habitat models used in land management planning in western Oregon and Washington are currently being updated to reflect research conducted in the last two decades. This project incorporates new knowledge, especially of elk nutrition and foraging dynamics, in a resource selection function approach to predict where elk will occur across large landscapes. The new models will benefit current land management plan revisions and habitat management and restoration for elk across western Oregon and Washington.

If you have questions pertaining to the elk habitat modeling project, please contact:

Mary M. Rowland
USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station
Phone: 541-962-6582
Email: mrowland@fs.fed.us

Michael J. Wisdom
USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station
Phone: 541-962-6532
Email: mwisdom@fs.fed.us

Sponsors:

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Boone and Crockett Club
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Sporting Conservation Council
USDA Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management

Collaborators:

USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
National Council for Air and Stream Improvement
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Makah Nation
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Quileute Indian Tribe
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
WEST, Inc.
Oregon State University
Oregon State University Extension Service