NATIONAL ELK REFUGE Jackson, Wyoming ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1983 r US Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Left to right: Bob Rowley, Betty Parrish, Roger Pape, Barbara Hayden, Everett Russell, Rees Madsen, John Wilbrecht, David Trudeau, Jim Griffin, Bruce Smith. NATIONAL ELK REFUGE PERMANENT EMPLOYEES Employee Position and Grade EOD John E. Wilbrecht Project Leader 07-31-77 GS-484-13 1/ Rees L. Madsen—' Refuge Manager 10-30-83 GS-485-11 (Asst Project Leader) Bruce L. Smith Wildlife Biologist (Mgmt) 06-13-82 GS-485-11 James M. Griffin Outdoor Recreation Planner 06-03-79 GS-023-09 Betty L. Parrish Administrative Officer 01-11-81 GS-347-07 Barbara E. Hayden Clerk Typist 02-07-82 GS-322-04 Roger D. Pape Engr. Equipment Mechanic 03-30-67 WG-5803-11 Robert R. Rowley Biol. Technician (Wildlife) 12-18-67 GS-404-05/00 Everett R. Russell Biol. Technician (Wildlife) 06-15-80 GS-404-07 David J. Trudeau Biol. Technician (Wildlife) 02-22-81 GS-404-06 1/ Replacement for John Decker, Asst Refuge Mgr, who transferred to Law Enforcement, Portland, Oregon. I i. Marilyn McElheney, Biol. Aid (Sleigh Ride Visitor Center seasonal employee). NATIONAL ELK REFUGE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES Employee Position & Grade Status EOD Terminated Sherie Bartsh Biol. Aid (Wildlife) TFT 10-25-82 GS-404-04 Vernon Burnside Biol. Aid (Irrigator) TFT 05-15-83 05-19-83 GS-404-03 Dale Farley Biol. Aid (Fisheries) TFT 05-15-83 GS-404-03 Robert Fisher Biol. Aid (Irrigator) TFT 06-08-83 09-30-83 GS-404-02 Jackie Gilmore Biol. Aid (Wildlife) TPT 12-16-83 04-14-84 GS-404-04 Trenton Grandy Biol. Aid (Irrigator) TFT 05-15-83 08-13-83 GS-404-03 Katie H. Grenier Biol. Aid (Wildlife) TPT 12-16-84 04-14-84 GS-404-04 Julie Holding Biol. Aid (Wildlife) TPT 07-25-82 03-05-83 GS-404-02 Marilyn McElheney Biol. Aid (Wildlife) TFT 10-31-82 04-16-83 GS-404-04 Chester Miller Biol. Aid (Irrigator) TFT 06-12-83 01-14-84 GS-404-03 ii. !_/ Biol. Aids: Katie Grenier and Sherie Bartsh. Volunteer Diane Hall and Biol. Aid Jackie Gilmore. / Sleigh Ride Visitor Center seasonal employees iii. Volunteer Elizabeth Coates VOLUNTEERS Elizabeth Coates Biol. Aid 06-13-83 12-05-83 Diane Hall Biol. Aid 01-03-84 Erin Muths Biol. Aid 01-10-84 01-12-84 Diana Stratton Biol. Aid 07-05-83 Erich Wilbrehct Biol. Aid 06-27-83 07-03-83 iv. Steve Minta and his wife Kathy. University of California graduate student doing research study on badger predatory strategies (see Section D-5, page v. Left to right: Kurt Bills, Travis Conklin, Tammie Harris, Rod Piatak, Paul Miller. YCC ENROLLEES Enrollee Position Status EOD Terminated Kurt W. Bills Work Leader FT 06-06-83 08-13-83 Travis L. Conklin Corpsman FT 06-06-83 08-13-83 Tammie L. Harris Corpsman FT 06-06-83 08-13-83 Paul L. Miller Corpsman FT 06-06-83 08-13-83 Rodney L. Piatak Corpsman FT 06-06-83 08-13-83 COLLEGE WORK STUDY Sean O'Brien Biol. Aid FT 01-04-83 04-11-83 ihthi Submitted byjy Date Regional Office Review vi. The 24,289 acre National Elk Refuge lies in the Jackson Hole area of northwestern Wyoming. The Refuge was established by Congress on August 10, 1912 to acquire, preserve and manage lands for the wintering elk of Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole is a fault trough surrounded by an extensive system of fault block mountains. While the elevation of the Refuge varies from 6,200 feet to 7,200 feet, the Tetons to the west rise to 13,766 feet at the summit of Grand Teton. The valley and the surrounding mountains are classic examples of glaciation. Spectacular elevation surges of over 7,000 feet, from an intermountain valley to cirque-cut escarpments, and glacial remnants are features that have created a wildlife and recreation area of outstanding importance. The National Elk Refuge lies in a glacial valley and is in the Transition Zone. Soils at the lower elevations are alluvial, generally composed of sandy loam or loam, and are shallow and permeable. The soils at the higher elevations are also loamy but there are considerable areas of gravelly soils and cobblestone on the south slopes and ridges. Sheet and gully erosion is apparent on some of the steeper slopes. The northern one-half of the Refuge is dissected by steep rolling hills. The southern one-half consists of glacial outwash material primarily, with one resistant formation (Miller Butte) rising approximately 500 feet above the valley floor. There are two major streams flowing through the Refuge. The Gros Ventre River forms much of the northern boundary of the Refuge and Flat Creek, flowing from east to west, nearly bisects the Refuge. As Flat Creek approaches the western boundary of the Refuge, it turns and continues southward and leaves the Refuge at its extreme southwestern corner. Numerous springs emerge from the northern edge of Miller Butte and form Nowlin Creek, which flows to the northwest until it joins Flat Creek. The Refuge lies within Teton County and is bounded on the north by Grand Teton National Park, on the east by the Bridger-Teton National Forest and on the south and west by the town of Jackson and mixed private and Bureau of Land Management lands, respectively. The climate is typical of high valleys in the northern Rocky Mountains. Summers are cool and pleasant and winters are long. Snowfall patterns and accumulations generally form quite a gradient from 6-18 inches on the lower half of the Refuge up to four feet on the north end of the Refuge. Annual precipitation is 15.2 inches with about half received as snowfall. Temperature extremes vary from a summer high of 920-940F to winter lows of 35o-40o F below zero. Record high is 101oF and the record low is 520F below zero. vii. Much of the Refuge consists of grassy meadows and marshes on the comparatively flat valley floor with the sedges, blue grasses and brome grass being important components of the communities. Near some of the springs and along the water courses, various willows are common. The flood plain forest, common along the Gros Ventre River, contains blue spruce, narrowleaf cottonwood, red osier dogwood and balsam poplar as major species. There are extensive areas of big sagebrush north of the Jackson National Fish Hatchery. Foothills are grass covered for the most part with some sagebrush and rock outcroppings. These open areas merge with the steeper, timbered mountain slopes to the east where lodgepole pine, limber pine, whitebark pine, Douglas fir, and aspen are found. For major habitat types within the Refuge see page 17. viii. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page A. HIGHLIGHTS 1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1 C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. General 3 2. Fee Title 4 3. Easements 5 4. Other 5 D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan - Nothing to report 2. Management Plan 6 3. Public Participation - Nothing to report 4. Compliance with Environmental Mandates 6 5. Research and Investigation 6 E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel 8 2. Youth Programs 8 3. Other Manpower Programs 10 4. Volunteer Programs 11 5. Funding 11 6. Safety 12 7. Technical Assistance - Nothing to report 8. Other Items 12 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 1. General 17 2. Wetlands 17 3. Forests 17 4. Croplands - Nothing to report 5. Grasslands 17 6. Other Habitats-Nothing to report 7. Grazing 22 8. Haying - Nothing to report 9. Fire Management - Nothing to report 10. Pest Control 22 11. Water Rights 23 12. Wilderness and Special Areas - Nothing to report 13. WPA Easement Monitoring - Nothing to report ix. Page G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity 24 2. Endangered and Threatened Species 24 3. Waterfowl 24 4. Marsh and Water Birds 25 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, and Terns 27 6. • Raptors 27 7. Other Migratory Birds - Nothing to report 8. Game Mammals 27 9. Marine Mammals - Nothing to report 10. Other Resident Wildlife 32 11. Fishery Resources 32 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking - Nothing to report .... 13. Surplus Animal Disposal - Nothing to report 14. Scientific Collections - Nothing to report 15. Animal Control - Nothing to report 16. Marking and Banding 33 17. Disease Prevention and Control 33 H. PUBLIC USE 1. General 35 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students 3. Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers 4. Interpretive Foot Trails - Nothing to report 5. Interpretive Tour Routes ^2 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations ^2 7. Other Interpretive Programs ^5 8. Hunting ^5 9. Fishing 50 10. Trapping - Nothing to report 11. Wildlife Observation 53 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation 53 13. Camping - Nothing to report 14. Picnicking 53 15. Off-Road Vehicling - Nothing to report 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation 53 17. Law Enforcement • 53 18. Cooperating Associations 58 19. Concessions 58 J) x. Page 1. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 1. New Construction - Nothing to report 2. Rehabilitation 60 3. Major Maintenance 61 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement 61 5. Communications Systems 62 6. Energy Conservation 62 7. Other - Nothing to report J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs 66 2. Other Items - Nothing to report 3. Credits 67 K. FEEDBACK 68 xi. A. HIGHLIGHTS - Peregrine falcon hack tower successfully fledges four birds. - Wintering elk total 5,878 for the winter of 1982-83. - Winter sleigh ride concession draws record number of visitors. - Refuge elk hunt drawings attract 2,556 hopefuls for the 600 available permits. - Refuge officers, acting on a tip, make a Lacey Act case against antler poachers.