ELK IN THE CLEARWATER
Extensive wildfires in the early 20th century removed dense forests and created the habitat that allowed one of the largest elk herds in the nation to develop in the Clearwater River basin of Idaho. Elk populations declined significantly after the tough winter of 1996/97 and have been slow to recover in some places. The reasons for the slow recovery are hotly debated but surely include habitat changes, predation, hunting effects and access. More elk history...

ELK RECOVERY COORDINATION
A wide variety of partners have been coordinating their elk efforts toward elk recovery for several years. These partners include the Idaho Department of Fish & Game, the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Idaho Department of Lands, Safari Club International, Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps of Engineers, Potlatch Corporation, other timberland owners, and sportsmen/women.

After a well-attended "elk summit" in Lewiston Idaho in January 2003, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo chartered a collaborative group of diverse interests who worked together for well over a year to identify common ground and recommend elk recovery actions they could all support.

In July 2005, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo joined the Clearwater National Forest, Nez Perce Tribe, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation at Orofino while they signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The goal of the MOU is to "promote cooperative management actions and habitat improvement that will maintain and enhance elk and other wildlife populations and their habitat in north Idaho".

ELK RECOVERY ACTIONS
Historically, fire was the major disturbance process that affected vegetation and wildlife habitats here in central Idaho. Fires converted older forests to young forest stages that provided most of the forage for big game including elk.

Since the advent of efficient fire suppression over 60 years ago, fire has played only a minor role in shaping vegetation patterns. Timber harvest has been the primary disturbance across the developed areas of the basin but most of the roadless country has seen neither harvest nor significant fire until recently. These days, managers are looking at timber harvest, prescribed fires, and managing, instead of completely suppressing, some wildires as the primary tools in restoring a mix of forest vegetation stages including the young stage so important for elk forage.

In the backcountry, fire in it's various forms is still the primary tool for changing vegetation and habitat. In certain areas, naturally ignited fires can be managed instead of being suppressed where they are expected to benefit resources like elk habitat. This approach of Managed Wildfire was formerly referred to as wildland fire use or WFU.

An aggressive program of prescribed fire is also underway to complement the fires that nature provides. Prescribed fires, ignited under specific weather and fuel conditions, can provide habitat restoration with more certainty in timing and location than natural events.