External Affairs staff in the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support to the regional office and field stations to communicate and facilitate information about the Service's programs to the public, media, Congress, Tribes, partners, and other stakeholders in the 8-state region.

Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries.

Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The Migratory Bird Program is responsible for maintaining healthy migratory bird populations for the benefit of the American people.

The Mountain-Prairie Region's Office of Ecological Services (ES) works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, ES personnel work with Federal, State, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate threats to our Nation's natural resources.

Created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, today's National Wildlife Refuge System protects habitats and wildlife across the country, from the Alaskan tundra to subtropical wetlands. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Refuge System's 560-plus refuges cover more than 150 million acres and protect nearly 1,400 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. Refuges are ideal places for people of all ages to explore and connect with the natural world. We invite you to learn more about and visit the national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a long tradition of scientific excellence and always uses the best-available science to inform its work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat for the benefit of the American public.

News Release

Management Plan Completed for National Elk Refuge

November 14, 2016



Tetons from the National Elk Refuge. Credit: Katie Theule/USFWS

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has released a final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) that will guide management of the National Elk Refuge (Refuge) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the next 15 years. The management decisions included in the CCP are a result of thorough environmental review and input from the local community and other stakeholders.

A draft CCP and EA were released in September of 2014 and underwent 60 days of public review and public meetings. Based on an extensive review of feedback, comments, and internal reviews, the Service has selected a preferred management alternative (Alternative D).



Alternative D is a blended option that would both increase public use opportunities with an emphasis on the six priority wildlife-dependent uses (hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation) and focus management efforts on promoting natural processes and supporting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.



The CCP and EA are companion documents to the Bison and Elk Management Plan, which provides goals, objectives, and strategies for managing bison and elk on the National Elk Refuge and in the Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway. Therefore, the CCP does not address bison and elk management on the Refuge, including supplemental feeding. Instead, the CCP addresses all other aspects of refuge management including migratory bird conservation, threatened and endangered species recovery, habitat management, visitor use, and management of cultural resources.

The final CCP/EA is available online here: https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/refuges/wy_ner.php. Hard copies are available at the refuge administrative offices located at 675 E. Broadway in Jackson. For questions about the CCP/EA, please call 307-733-9212.

Established in 1912, the National Elk Refuge spans approximately 25,000 acres and provides wildlife with a variety of habitat types, including grassy meadows, marshes, forest, sagebrush, and rock outcrops. Although the Refuge is best known for the largest herd of wintering elk in the world, nearly 175 species of birds and at least 47 mammal species have been observed on the Refuge. A free-roaming bison herd also winters at the Refuge. Each year, roughly 500,000 people visit the National Elk Refuge to enjoy the views and charismatic wildlife.

To learn more about the refuge, visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/National_Elk_Refuge/about.html.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.

For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/. Connect with our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/USFWSMountainPrairie, follow our tweets at http://twitter.com/USFWSMtnPrairie, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/.

– FWS –