The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Department of the Interior, developed an updated Bison and Elk Management Plan (BEMP) and environmental impact statement (EIS) for the National Elk Refuge (NER). FWS contracted with The Langdon Group to elicit input from a wide range of interests and evaluate prospects for collaboration among partner agencies as well as collaboration with other potentially affected interests. This input was obtained and recorded through a situational assessment; two, three-hour stakeholder workshops; and a Leaders Meeting among key representatives from FWS, Wyoming Game and Fish, the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.
This facilitated process provided agency leaders the opportunity to better understand the range of opinions and perspective among external interest groups regarding multi-agency management decisions, most predominantly concerning disease spread, the Jackson Elk Herd feeding programs, and wildlife management among species that do not recognize jurisdictional boundaries. The Leaders Meeting provided a safe space for frank discussion about shared solutions and a commitment to seek collaborative solutions that meet multiple agency goals.
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