RMEF funds projects in Shoshone, Kootenai counties

MISSOULA — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its vast array of partners have supplied $4,197,169 to improve wildlife habitats throughout Idaho. The allotment also supports wildlife management efforts, youth archery and trap shooting programs, and mentored hunting and educational conservation programs. 

“These 28 projects stretch across the state and enhance more than 80,000 acres of habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse and many other wildlife species. That’s good news for animals and the landscapes they rely on,” said Jameson Sharp, RMEF regional director for southern Idaho. 

RMEF allotted $472,596, which helped leverage $3,724,573 in partner funding. 

There are more than 7,000 RMEF members and 18 chapters across Idaho. 

“We greatly appreciate our volunteers. They plan and host banquets and other Idaho events that helped generate this funding to put back on the ground where it does so much good,” said RMEF President and CEO Kyle Weaver. 

RMEF has a long history of accomplishments in conservation in Idaho. Since 1985, RMEF has collaborated with partners to complete 720 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects with a combined value of more than $97.7 million. These projects conserved or enhanced 807,237 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 45,952 acres. 

Project partners include the Caribou-Targhee, Idaho Panhandle, Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forests, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, private landowners and conservation, sportsmen, government, business and civic organizations. 

In Shoshone County, RMEF has funded three projects, including additional work on the I-90 wildlife crossing near Osburn. Those three projects are as follows: 

• Restore decadent forage and open up canopies across 384 acres in year-round elk habitat in the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. 

• Supply funding for fencing to funnel wildlife to a crossing structure along Interstate 90 in North Idaho. This project will improve habitat connectivity and wildlife movements in an area where wildlife-vehicle collisions are becoming more and more common. 

• Provide a volunteer crew to remove wire for a fifth consecutive year from a discontinued electric railroad line along the Route of the Hiawatha, a scenic bike trail straddling the Idaho-Montana border. The wire entrapped many elk and deer over the years. 

In Kootenai County, RMEF will supply funding support for the Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife Society, a nonprofit, professional organization of Idaho-based wildlife experts dedicated to excellence in science-based management and conservation of wildlife populations and habitats. 

For more information, including the full list of projects being funded, visit www.rmef.org. 

Now in its fifth decade of conservation accomplishment and fueled by hunters, RMEF has conserved more than 9.1 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage.