A first-of-its-kind conservation agreement allows thousands of elk to migrate through a private Colorado ranch. Dave Gottenborg, owner of Eagle Rock Ranch in Park County, has been helping elk for years. Each winter, he has laid down barbed-wire fencing on his ranch to prevent migrating elk from getting caught in it.
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Now, he will receive payment covering most of his cattle grazing fees in exchange for maintaining elk migration corridors on his 3,000-acre property.
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The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) is funding the initiative, paying over two-thirds of Gottenborg’s lease rate for five years.
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The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust will monitor compliance through cameras, drones, and visits. Gottenborg has long supported elk migration by laying down barbed wire fencing during the winter months.
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Other ranchers are already asking how they can join similar agreements.
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h/t: The Colorado Sun
Photos: Report for America
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