California is home to approximately 6,000 tule ELK (cervus canadensis nannodes), 6,000 roosevelt ELK (c. C.roosevelti), 2,000 rocky mountain ELK (c. C. Nelsoni), and 4,000 pronghorn (antilocapra…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 8, awarded the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) $1,357,835 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety Program (CFDA 15.611) for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This formula grant, authorized under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, supports wildlife conservation and management initiatives throughout California.

The grant funds research, population monitoring, and management activities focused on California's ungulate populations, specifically three elk subspecies (Tule elk, Roosevelt elk, and Rocky Mountain elk) and pronghorn antelope. Deliverables include research on population abundance, demographic rates, distribution, movement patterns, age structure, genetics, diet and nutrition, and habitat use for these species. Additionally, the award supports disease surveillance and management activities addressing emerging wildlife health concerns, including treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) in elk and chronic wasting disease (CWD) risk assessment for cervid populations. These research and monitoring activities enable evidence-based management decisions to sustain California's ungulate populations, which collectively provide significant recreational and economic benefits to the state.

California is home to approximately 6,000 tule ELK (cervus canadensis nannodes), 6,000 roosevelt ELK (c. C.roosevelti), 2,000 rocky mountain ELK (c. C. Nelsoni), and 4,000 pronghorn (antilocapra americana), whichcollectively contribute significant recreational and economic benefits to the state. Once teetering on the brinkof extinction, tule ELK have made an extraordinary recovery alongside roosevelt ELK, which were nearly extirpatedfrom california. Today, all three ELK subspecies exhibit stable or increasing abundance and distribution, reflecting decades of successful conservation efforts. In contrast, pronghorn populations in northeasterncalifornia have declined relative to historical levels, with notable shifts in distribution and decreases inreintroduced populations. Reintroductions during the 1980S and 1990S established several hundred pronghorn intheir historical range in central and southern california, yet only a few small, fragmented populations persistin these areas today. The divergent population trajectories of ELK and pronghorn in california remain incompletely understood but arelikely influenced by differing life histories, including variations in body size, physiology, phenology, habitatuse, reproduction, predator avoidance, diet and nutrition, and responses to stressors like prolonged droughtconditions. To support effective management, further research is essential on abundance, demographic rates, distributions, movements, age structures, genetics, diet and nutrition, and habitat use for these species.emerging disease concerns pose an additional challenge to the conservation and management of ungulatepopulations. Documented cases of treponeme-associated hoof disease (tahd) in ELK and the potential risk ofchronic wasting disease (CWD) to cervid populations underscore the need for proactive surveillance andmanagement. Understanding the prevalence, distribution, and potential impacts of diseases affecting ELK andpronghorn is vital for maintaining population health and resilience.connectivity among ungulate populations and between seasonal ranges for migratory species is increasinglyimportant in light of expanding human development and habitat fragmentation. Secretarial order (so) 3362 directsfederal agencies to collaborate with state partners to identify and conserve key movement corridors for ungulateslike ELK and pronghorn in the western united states. Achieving this objective necessitates partnerships withfederal agencies, non-governmental organizations, tribal nations, and private landowners to prioritize habitatconservation and connectivity at a landscape scale. These collaborative efforts are essential to maintaininggenetic diversity, population resilience, and habitat integrity.