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NRCS Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guide – Elk
March 2009
Owner/Operator: District:
County: Field Office:
Assisted By: Acres:
Location: Date:
Farm & Tract #: Contract #:
General Information: Rocky Mountain elk are found primarily in the western 2/3 of Colorado, however they are
occasionally found on the eastern plains. They are an adaptive species and have thrived in many Front Range
Foothills communities. Home ranges can be from 2,500 acres to 10,000 acres, however they spend most of
their time on 1,500 to 4,000 acres. Habitat quality, herd sizes, and other factors influence home range sizes.
Optimum habitat consists of 60% openings or forage producing areas and 40% cover areas. Openings should
be 10-30 acres in size and no wider than 1,200 feet. Elk food habits shift seasonally. Grasses and grass like
plants are 75% of the summer diet and 92% of the fall diet, but drop to 22% in winter. Browse makes up 10% of
the summer diet, but shifts to 57% in winter.
Cover Factors
1) Thermal and hiding cover Value Before After
Dense trees or shrubs that provide summer shade and protection from
a) 1.0
wind and snow; patches >600 feet wide
Dense trees or shrubs that provide summer shade and protection from
b) 0.7
wind and snow; patches <600 feet wide
c) Thin tree stands or shrubs less than 6 feet tall;patches >600 feet wide 0.5
d) Thin tree stands or shrubs less than 6 feet tall;patches <600 feet wide 0.3
Average distance to cover >1200 feet or no cover found on planning unit
e) 0.1
Enter value here ------->
2) Plant communities Value Before After
Ponderosa, lodgepole pine; Douglas fir; other conifers; pinon-juniper;
a) 1.0
oak; other shrubs; aspen; riparian
b) Grasslands 0.3
c) Other community types 0.1
Enter value here ------->
3) Percent of operating unit in thermal and hiding cover as described
Value Before After
in #1
a) 30-50% 1.0
b) 10-29% or 51-80% 0.5
c) <10% or >80% 0.1
Enter value here ------->
4) Distance to heavy human activity (high density development-
Value Before After
houses, businesses, gas and oil wells, etc.-paved highways)
a) >1/2 mile 1.0
b) 1/4 to 1/2 mile 0.5
c) 1/8 to 1/4 mile 0.1
d) <1/8 mile 0.0
Enter value here ------->
Food Factors
5A. Forage species diversity Value Before After
Minimum of 3 perennial grass, 2 palatable shrub, and 5 forb species with
a) 1.0
no noxious weeds
Minimum of 2 perennial grass, 1 palatable shrub, and 2 forb species with
b) 0.5
few or no noxious weeds
Minimum of 1 grass species, 2 forb species or moderate amounts of
c) 0.3
noxious weeds present
d) One plant species or heavy infestation of noxious weeds 0.1
Enter value here ------->
5B. Percent of grass, forb, and shrub annual production available for
use by elk. Shrubs must be species elk use for forage such as Value Before After
serviceberry, oak, bitterbrush, mountain mahogany, etc.
a) >75% 1.0
b) 50 - 75% 0.7
c) 25 - 49% 0.5
d) <25% 0.2
Enter value here ------->
5) Average of 5A and 5B #DIV/0! #DIV/0!
6) Distance from center of forage area to thermal/hiding cover. Forage
areas are openings, pasture and hayland, meadow, sagebrush lands, Value Before After
other shrublands
a) <600 feet 1.0
b) 600-1200 feet 0.5
c) 1200 feet - 1/2 mile 0.2
d) >1/2 mile 0.0
Enter value here ------->
Water
7) Distance to water-water defined as open water, wet meadow,
Value Before After
riparian-needs to be available during season of use
Watering site every section or closer (maximum spacing 1mile between
a) 1.0
sites)
b) Watering sites 1-2 miles apart 0.5
Watering sites >2 miles apart or only seasonal water sources, or not on
c) 0.1
planning unit
Enter value here ------->
HSI Value is the lowest value for the above 7 factors. To improve the HSI, the lowest
value in the before condition must be increased by implementing changes that will
increase the value in the after condition. To meet quality criteria, the overall HSI must
be at 0.5 or higher in the after condition.
Before After
Overall HSI -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> #DIV/0! #DIV/0!
Counties
Service Center Conservation District
Akron ADAMS Agate
Alamosa ALAMOSA Baca County
Brighton ARAPAHOE Bent County
Burlington ARCHULETA Big Thompson
Byers BACA Bookcliff
Canon City BENT Boulder Valley
Center BOULDER Branson-Trinchera
BROOMFIELD
Cheyenne Wells Burlington
CHAFFEE
Colorado Springs Centennial
Cortez CHEYENNE Center
Craig CLEAR CREEK Central Colorado
Delta CONEJOS Cheyenne
Dove Creek COSTILLA Colorado First
Durango CROWLEY Conejos County
Eads CUSTER Cope
Flagler DELTA Costilla
Fort Collins DENVER Custer County-Divide
Fort Morgan DOLORES DeBeque-Plateau Valley
Franktown DOUGLAS Deertrail
EAGLE
Glenwood Springs Delta
EL
Grand Junction PASO Dolores
Greeley ELBERT Double El
Gunnison FREMONT Douglas County
Holly GARFIELD Douglas Creek
Holyoke GILPIN Dove Creek
Hugo GRAND Eagle County
Ignacio GUNNISON East Adams
Julesburg HINSDALE East Otero
Kremmling HUERFANO El Paso
La Jara JACKSON Flagler
Lamar JEFFERSON Fort Collins
Las Animas KIOWA Fremont
Longmont KIT CARSON Gunnison
Meeker LA PLATA Haxtun
Metro LAKE High Plains
Monte Vista LARIMER Jefferson
Montrose LAS ANIMAS Kiowa
LINCOLN
Northeast Prowers Kiowa County
Norwood LOGAN La Plata
MESA
Pagosa Springs Lake County
Pueblo MINERAL Longmont
Rocky Ford MOFFAT Mancos
Salida MONTEZUMA Mesa
San Luis MONTROSE Middle Park
Silvercliff MORGAN Morgan
Simla OTERO Mosca-Hooper
Springfield OURAY Mount Sopris
PARK
Steamboat Springs North Park
Sterling PHILLIPS Northeast Prowers
Towaoc PITKIN Olney-Boone
Trinidad PROWERS Pine River
Walden PUEBLO Platte Valley
Walsenburg RIO BLANCO Prairie
RIO
Woodland Park GRANDE Prowers
Wray ROUTT Rio Grande
Yuma SAGUACHE Routt County
SAN JUAN San Juan
SAN MIGUEL San Miguel Basin
SEDGWICK Sedgwick County
SUMMIT Shavano
TELLER South Platte
WASHINGTON South Pueblo County
WELD South Side
YUMA Southeast Weld
Spanish Peaks-Purgatorie River
Teller-Park
Turkey Creek
Upper Arkansas
Upper Huerfano
Washington County
West Adams
West Arapahoe
West Greeley
West Otero-Timpas
White River
Yuma
Yuma County
