quantities of forage remain available during key seasonal periods (i.e., winter/spring). 

 While focusing on elk, other big game species, small game, birds, and small mammals 

 will benefit as well. A secondary goal will be to provide public access to these and 

 adjacent public properties (BLM and USPS) for hunting and other recreational pursuits. 

 A basic premise for management of the property will be to minimize all negative 

 impacts to the land base. This implies minimal structure development and minimal 

 maintenance requirements. The elk herd will be managed in concert with the existing 

 agricultural and recreational values present in the surrounding area. 



Objectives 



The most essential and important components of a wildlife management area are soil 

 and vegetation. Every management action on the area will be aimed at maintaining or 

 improving the vegetative condition and protecting soils. Vegetative treatments to 

 improve habitat may include livestock grazing, total rest from livestock grazing, 

 prescribed burning, mechanical treatment, and/or other common land management 

 practices. 



A change from present grazing practices to other grazing practices can be expected. 

 This may include continuation of livestock grazing under a strict management scheme, 

 such as a 3 pasture rest-rotation system. Initial efforts will focus on quantifying the 

 condition and trend of existing vegetation and establishing long-term monitoring efforts 

 on the property. 



Prescribed burning as a tool to manipulate and stimulate grass communities may be 

 utilized. Controlled burning may be used to remove conifer encroachment and to 

 modify other plant successional stages. Any such effort v^uld be made in coordination 

 with adjacent landowners. 



Mechanical treatment could include seeding a variety of native and tame grasses, but 

 would be limited to previously disturbed or severely depleted sites. 



Significant springtime elk use occurs on the Hughes property and will be perpetuated 

 by the proposed acquisition. Ongoing vegetative treatments on the current JRWMA 

 are expected to increase winter/spring elk usage on the WMA and, subsequently, 

 reduce elk usage of adjacent privately owned lands. Mule deer and pronghorn usage 

 of the property are expected to remain stable or increase slightly. Other wildlife 

 numbers will fluctuate depending on their adaptations to the improvement in range and 

 habitat conditions. All management objectives v^W be reviewed periodically and 

 adjusted based on the availability of new information on wildlife use and movement, 

 condition of the range, and impacts to adjacent lands. 



