It’s a large-scale invasion in northern Colorado, and it’s bad news for wildlife.
Piñon-juniper woodlands continue to expand into historic landscapes of sagebrush, aspen groves and mixed mountain shrublands.
That spread gobbles up groundwater, crowds out native vegetation and creates more bare soils, resulting in lower biological biodiversity and forage production, excessive erosion and a direct loss of habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, wild turkeys, upland birds and other wildlife species.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Natural Resources Conservation Services and others combined to put nearly $400,000 on the ground to restore sagebrush habitat near Stifel and Teepee creeks about 150 miles west of Denver.
The project began in the summer of 2023 and stretched into the late winter months of 2024.
Heavy-duty machinery removed piñon-juniper across 624 acres on the slopes of King Mountain, and crews followed that up with aerial seeding.
The result is enhanced year-round range for elk and other wildlife thanks to better plant diversity and forage, and a reduction in the risk of high-intensity wildfires.
Restoring elk country is core to RMEF’s mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
Since 1984, RMEF helped conserve or enhance more than 9.1 million acres of wildlife habitat.