The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and USDA Forest Service (USFS) have teamed up with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) to relieve snowbound wildlife populations by closing state and federal land to all human activity in the Gunnison Basin, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

The closures went into effect in late January after CDOW launched an emergency winter-feeding operation designed to prevent massive winterkill of the basin's 21,000 deer and 600 pronghorn due to above-average snowfall and colder than normal temperatures. Concern about the effects of human activities near the already stressed herds prompted CDOW officials to close all state lands in the area and petition the BLM and USFS to do the same on federal lands.

"BLM and Forest Service have been exceptional to deal with in this matter," said J Wenum, CDOW Area Wildlife Manger for the Gunnison Basin. According to Wenum, less than 24 hours after CDOW requested federal land closures, BLM biologists had produced a draft categorical exclusion that closed 155,000 acres of public lands to motorized use. This closure was later extended to include all human use. Likewise, the USFS closed approximately 10,000 acres of additional federal lands within the basin. These closures will remain in effect until May 15, unless conditions change.

BLM wildlife biologist Russ Japuntich stated that the human-use closure was important to the success of the emergency-feeding operation. "Initially, we thought a motorized vehicle closure would relieve most of the human-induced pressure from the animals. Unfortunately, we saw an increase in human use and disturbance because folks were curious to see the large number of animals coming to the feeding sites."

Although BLM regularly places seasonal closures on certain sections of public land, said Japuntich, rarely is a total human-use ban instituted on such a large area. "Considering the number of animals wintering in the basin and the near-record snowfall, we [BLM] thought that it was important to implement this closure."

Winter storms have dropped nearly 80 inches of snow in the Gunnison Basin, and temperatures have plummeted to -38 degrees Fahrenheit. CDOW officials fear that, without supplemental feeding, the state's largest mule deer herd could lose 30 percent of its adult females, 50 percent of its adult males and up to 70 percent of its fawns less than a year old. "Fortunately, we haven't seen much weather-related mortality in deer," said Wenum. "They seem to be in relatively good condition so far."

According to information released last week, CDOW is currently feeding approximately 6,500 deer, 500 pronghorn and 2,500 elk at 106 feeding sites within the basin. (mcd)