Ungulate Management Program - Elk Dispersal

A group of elk browse in an area of the park where excess herbivory has caused adverse vegetation impacts, such as this willow tree mortality

NPS Photo

Protecting the Greater Sand Dunes Ecosystem

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is home to a complex but fragile ecosystem. One of the challenges to its long-term health is the overconcentration of elk in areas with limited natural predation. At one time, grizzly bears and wolves roamed the open areas of what is now Great Sand Dunes National Park and kept elk populations at ecologically healthy levels. Today, with few natural predators to curb populations, large herds of elk can gather in sensitive wetlands and riparian zones and cause substantial ecological damage.

To address this, the National Park Service (NPS) launched an Ungulate Management Program in 2019 in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Baca National Wildlife Refuge. This collaborative effort also offers volunteer opportunities to help disperse elk through a combination of non‑lethal hazing and limited, highly regulated lethal culling. These actions help reduce pressure on park resources by redistributing elk across the landscape, which in turn supports elk harvest opportunities on adjacent lands where public hunting is permitted. The program focuses on maintaining ecological integrity, supporting multiple species, and protecting the natural beauty and biodiversity of the greater sand dunes ecosystem.

Ungulate management activities occur annually from late August through February, as needed, and are conducted under a general agreement with the cooperating agency Colorado Parks and Wildlife

How Can the Public Participate?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recruits, screens, registers, and coordinates volunteers for this effort. To volunteer for this program:

1. Watch for Recruitment Announcements Volunteer recruitment occurs depending on management needs. Announcements are typically posted in the summer or early fall on the CPW Monte Vista Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CPWMonteVista/.
2. Submit an Application Form The announcement will state when the application period opens and will provide a link to a form. CPW determines the number of applications that they are accepting for each particular season. Given the high level of interest, the application period may close within hours after opening once the application quota is reached.
3. Pre-Screening CPW will prescreen prospective volunteers to determine eligibility and suitability for participation. Volunteers must have well-developed endurance, game care, and marksmanship skills. Volunteers must also possess a hunter education card.
4. Firearm Qualification Selected volunteers must then pass a challenging marksmanship qualification using their personal firearm and lead‑free ammunition at a location designated by CPW in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. This qualification ensures volunteers can safely and accurately perform required field tasks.
5. Register as a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Volunteer All selected participants who clear the firearms qualification will be given guidance on how to, and must then register as volunteers with CPW.
6. Background Check Volunteers that qualify must then pass a criminal background check administered by CPW.
7. Field Assignment Once all requirements are met, at a later date, qualified volunteers will be scheduled for a field assignment lasting up to two days. Volunteer teams work alongside:
   • An NPS biologist
   • A CPW wildlife manager
   • A CPW volunteer coordinator

Together, they conduct elk dispersal activities within designated areas of the park and refuge system.

For questions, please contact the Great Sand Dunes park biologist via email.