Colusa to share in elk grant

Colusa County is one of eight counties to share in $227,571 in grant funding from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for wildlife habitat conservation.

The 2009 Elk Foundation grants also affect Humboldt, Inyo, Modoc, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity counties.

California is the only state with three subspecies of elk, Rocky Mountain, Roosevelt and Tule.

The money slated for Colusa County will help restore riparian zone native vegetation to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife on BLM land in the Payne Ranch area. The Elk Foundation helped purchase the Payne Ranch several years ago and remains heavily involved in habitat protection and enhancement projects in the area.

Fundraisers, such as banquets, auctions and other events, is what transforms into on-the ground conservation work, according to David Allen, Elk Foundation president.

In Shasta County to the north, grant funds will be used to capture elk and fit them with radio collars to research movement patterns, population status and habitat use across northern California.

Partners for 2009 projects in California include California Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, landowners and organizations.