EASTERN ELK RESTORATION

While elk are currently in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and on lands owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokees, we envision elk herds expanding throughout the Appalachian chain. To achieve this vision we will secure the future of our current elk herds and their habitat and work to conserve habitat in future elk ranges. Most of the conservation challenges for elk within the context of an eastern landscape can be classified into three categories. They are: 1) Habitat permanence, 2) Habitat quality and quantity, and 3) Public acceptance of an animal that has been absent for over 150 years.

While elk are the flagship species for this effort, our conservation actions benefit multiple wildlife species. For example, grassland and early succession forest habitats can benefit everything from bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, and white-tailed deer to golden-winged warblers and yellow-breasted chats. Our efforts at permanent land protection benefit black bears and other species that need vast expanses of wild lands.

To achieve this vision we:

• Work in partnership with state wildlife agencies and other partners to create a shared vision for the restoration and conservation of elk.
• Develop landscape conservation plans for elk and associated wildlife.
• Are developing a template for a conservation corridor of protected, wild lands that will run the length of the Appalachian region. This will help ensure that elk, bears, songbirds, and many other wildlife species can move and migrate throughout the Appalachian mountains.
• Work with local communities within eastern elk country to help make the presence of elk an asset and economic driver for their region.