RMEF helps conserve wildlife habitat in North Carolina
Paul Stubbs photo
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supplied funding to help a collaborative partnership conserve 406 acres of habitat for elk, whitetail deer, wild turkey, grouse and other wildlife in Western North Carolina.
The White Oak Mountain acreage was under threat of development and lies at the junction of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and the Pisgah National Forest about three miles from the original elk release site in Cataloochee Valley, where RMEF helped return elk to their historic North Carolina range in 2001.“The land is visible from a variety of locations around the Pigeon River Gorge along Interstate 40, and from the Appalachian Trail where it runs through GSMNP,” said Hanni Muerdter, SAHC conservation director. “
SAHC plans to convey the property to NCWRC later this year or in early 2026, opening the door to public access and future habitat enhancement work for the acreage and if/when managed elk hunting is instituted.RMEF supplied $250,000 for the project, which comes from a 2024 allotment of $2.4 million for a dozen projects scattered across Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
