A plan to revive wintertime elk feeding in Elkhorn has been scrubbed, according to an announcement by Sun Valley Mayor Wayne Willich at an April 15 City Council meeting.
Willich first brought up the idea of reinstituting elk feeding on Feb. 24, claiming that if the elk aren't fed, a harsh winter would force them into town to forage for food. He said predators—such as wolves and mountain lions—would then follow, presenting a danger to citizens.
He said the problem wasn't noticeable this mild winter, but still exists for future winters with more snow.
Willich's plan was to have the council vote on April 15 to express support for the Wood River Elk Trust II, which wants to lead the feeding effort. But it never came to that. Instead, Willich said the entire plan has been halted because the elk trust needs a permit for its portable feeding containers. The permit, issued by the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, wouldn't be too difficult to obtain if the trust owned the land, but it doesn't. The feeding area is on a ridge above the cul-de-sac of Fireweed Road and belongs to the homeowners of Sun Valley Elkhorn Association.
And, Willich said, the trust couldn't apply for a permit pertaining to land it doesn't own.
Christine Willich, elk trust president and Mayor Willich's wife, said this obstruction has "really discouraged" the trust, which has decided to call it quits for now.
"We put everything in a box and said, 'Oh well,'" Christine Willich said.
She said the feeding discussion would be "held off" until a bad winter brings the issue to the forefront.
Wayne Willich said he's not backing off.
"Even though the elk trust may have folded their tents on this, I haven't forgotten for a minute," he said, later adding, "I'm here to tell the council this issue hasn't gone away in my mind."
Christine Willich said representatives from the trust had talked with the homeowners' association, and most of its board members were shying away from allowing feeding. When called on Monday, a representative for the homeowners' association said the group had no comment.
Historically, the association has been against elk feeding, at the advice of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The homeowners turned down the elk trust in late September when it wanted to feed in the same area. At that time, the elk trust was proposing an alternative to feeding elk at The Community School's campus on Sagewillow Road. That longtime feeding operation was terminated in 2007 after a conflict with neighboring homeowners who argued that it was drawing elk into residential neighborhoods.
Fish and Game told the homeowners' association that if the elk were not fed, they would eventually return to natural nearby winter ranges. The department's Magic Valley regional wildlife biologist, Regan Berkley, said it would probably take five years of no feeding for the elk to move away from the area into nearby gulches.
Following Willich's Feb. 24 announcement of wanting to reinstitute feeding, Fish and Game's Magic Valley regional manager, Jerome Hansen, said feeding is a short-term solution that the department wants to avoid.
"We would like to absolutely not feed if we don't have to," Hansen said.
Hansen said preferable alternatives would be downsizing the Sun Valley herd or moving it to a nearby winter range, such as Independence, Parker or Keystone gulches.
However, Willich said he's not going to take no for an answer, and the city should act in precaution, not reaction, after his concern turns into reality.
"I'm going to be asking some pretty penetrating questions," he said of Fish and Game.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
A proposal to feed elk in the Sun Valley area has been put on hold. Photo by Mountain Express
