National Elk Refuge faces disease risks and staffing shortages

A new long-range management plan for the National Elk Refuge proposes continuing to feed elk in the Jackson Herd, despite the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). The draft environmental impact statement outlines strategies to reduce the overwintering elk population to 5,000 animals over the next decade, a goal that has remained unfulfilled since 2007. Proposed methods include modifying hunting seasons, adjusting feeding schedules, and redistributing elk across the landscape.

Federal wildlife disease experts have warned that continued feeding could lead to a worst-case scenario for elk populations and hunting due to CWD transmission. The disease was first detected in Jackson Hole in 2020 and was recently identified on the refuge.

Simultaneously, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is facing significant staffing challenges. At the National Elk Refuge, the full-time workforce has decreased by 55%, leaving only five employees to manage the 24,700-acre property. On a broader scale, data obtained via the Freedom of Information Act indicates the agency has lost 36% of its total staff between 2024 and 2026, including approximately 1,900 scientists and biologists.