NER comment ltr 11-7 Final

November 7, 2005 Bison/Elk Management Plan PO Box 510 Jackson, WY 83001 RE: Draft Bison and Elk Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the National Elk Refuge, Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway Dear Sir or Madam: The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the joint draft bison and elk management plan and environmental impact statement developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Park Service (NPS) for the National Elk Refuge (NER), Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway. The NWRA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, national membership organization, established in 1975. The NWRA’s mission is to protect, enhance and expand the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), lands and waters set aside by the American people to conserve our country’s diverse wildlife heritage. Over the years we have worked on behalf of our membership, comprised of current and former refuge professionals and members of the more than 200 refuge “Friends” group organizations throughout the United States, to make the Refuge System stronger and better able to address the growing challenges of conserving wildlife in our country. The NWRA endorses an improved Alternative 6 in the Draft Bison and Elk Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. Alternative 6 calls for restoring habitat, adaptively managing ...