SEQUIM — A discussion of what to do with Sequim’s signature elk herd ranged far and wide Wednesday afternoon but reached few conclusions.
One solid consensus emerged — the elk might not be able to stay in the lowlands around Sequim.
“The best-case scenario is to get elk back up into the high country where they belong,” said Jerry Angiuli, a member of Dungeness Elk Working Team, the task force that’s trying to come up with a management plan for the elk.
That’s easier said than done, however.
Most of the elk have found food, water, shelter and safe calving areas in the welcoming farmland around Port Williams and Holland Road.
That’s good for the elk but bad for farmers, who have seen crops damaged or devastated by the herd.
Options for moving the herd, meanwhile, can be costly and arduous with no guarantee of success.
There’s also a political factor.