Too many elk in the herd continue to be a major threat to upriver Skagit farmers and farmland.
WA State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently told the Skagit County Commissioners (BOCC) there were only 1,194 elk in the Skagit herd. The department’s own 2018 aerial and ground surveys showed 2,100 elk in Skagit County. With the calves born in the last three years, the herd is estimated to be nearly 2,500 animals.
WDFW said their elk programs are managing elk well, there was little damage to farms and they were continuing to work with farmers and tribes. Nothing could be further from the truth.
WDFW Skagit Elk Program isn’t working and elk must be moved off of farms.
- Elk are now living permanently on farmlands instead of migrating to public and other lands.
- There are too many elk on farmland continuing to damage crops and farms.
- Elk contaminate farmland, so fresh market and organic crops cannot be harvested or sold.
- Seed growers need upriver farms to guarantee no cross pollination for seed growing. This is a food security issue when elk destroy a field of brussels sprout seed worth $18,000/acre.
- Elk die from and spread highly contagious hoof rot that cattle can pick up from the contaminated soil. This is a public health issue.
- Skagit County Assessor’s survey of over 100 farm owners in 2018 – 2019 sets ongoing damages from elk at $1.4 million every year, on 5,000 of the 13,500 acres in East Skagit County.
Please contact all your elected officials (click on the links below) to tell them elk must be removed from all Skagit farmland.
State Legislators and State Senators
WDFW Commissioners and the Director
Rich Weyrich, Skagit County Prosecutor
Thanks for taking the time today to do this! Keeping Skagit farmland in use for food production is the key to keeping farmers in business and keeping Skagit’s rural lands for the future.