Conifer encroachment and sagebrush restoration. Those were terms used repeatedly during an Elkhorn Working Group field trip held August 10. The group of about 20 met at the Indian Creek Road off Highway 287 outside of Townsend to tour the Johnny Crow Habitat Enhancement Project and proposed treatment of public lands to restore wildlife habitat, including grasslands and whitebark pine.
Elkhorn Working Group (EWG) was founded in 2001 to deal with elk and livestock conflicts. EWG members are local ranchers, hunters and other outdoor recreationists, and representatives of public agencies, including county government, the US Forest Service, MT Fish Wildlife & Parks, MT Department of Natural Resources and US Bureau of Land Management.
The national award-winning group uses a consensus model to bring people together in the common goal of improving the Elkhorn Mountains for wildlife habitat while resolving resource issues. During the field trip, people heard from Denise Pengeroth, Elkhorn Coordinator, Phillip Knaub, USFS Fuels Specialist, and others who spoke about the Johnny Crow Project. They pointed out areas where conifers have encroached on open spaces. A study of tree scars shows that before the era of fire suppression, fires naturally burned the area every 10-15 years. The project aims to improve the area for wildlife habitat in part by cutting smaller trees, and in some areas, burning.
