Elk NetworkColorado Burn Improves Wildlife Habitat

Conservation | April 19, 2019

Prescribed fire is on the way to west-central Colorado and that’s a good thing for elk and other wildlife.

“Wildlife benefits from carefully planned prescribed burning can be substantial, especially to elk and deer, which use Gambel oak for cover and browse to survive the winter months,” said Jennifer Prusse, Eagle-Holy Cross district wildlife biologist.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided key funding for the treatment.

The goal of the approximately 2,000-acre French Creek prescribed burn area is to reduce hazardous fuels and improve habitat by opening dense stands of Gambel oak and brush and stimulating the growth of nutrient-rich forage for big game.

It is located in Game Management Unit 34 which is north of I-70 above Glenwood Canyon and six miles west of Dotsero, about halfway between Denver and Grand Junction.

(Photo source: U.S. Forest Service)