The elk restoration project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is about to be declared a success. But does that mean their protective status should be removed and that elk should be hunted in North Carolina forests surrounding the park?

Though elk are native to North Carolina, they had been absent from the state since before the 19th century. But the species returned in 2001 when a band of the animals was released in the Cataloochee Valley on the North Carolina side of the national park to kick-start a recovery program. Another band of elk was released in the valley in 2002, as well. Now the herd has grown to more than 100 elk from a start of 52 animals from the two introductions.

Under that recovery program, the elk had been protected from hunters through their listing as a "Special Concern" species by North Carolina wildlife officials. But now the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, a state organization chartered to manage the state's wildlife resources, is moving to remove that classification. This commission, which sets the rules on hunting and fishing in the state, recently issued an updated draft of hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations. In this 24-page document the commission calls for removing elk from the state's list of Special Concern species.

Remove elk (Cervus elephus) from the state’s list of Special Concern species.

Justification: The only free-ranging population of elk in North Carolina was introduced by the National Park Service into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Park Service has indicated to the Commission that they will soon declare their elk-restoration project a success, and elk will no longer be an “experimental population.” Because of the current status of the restoration effort and elk population in western North Carolina, the extra protections afforded Special Concern species are no longer necessary for elk.

The NC Camouflage Coalition, a network of hunters and fishers that is part of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, opposes the change in protection. They say the designation shouldn't be lifted "until a management plan for elk has been developed and is in place to define the status of elk when they leave the confines of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At present, wandering elk are protected as species of special concern; what will be their status if we remove that classification?"

You can weigh in on this debate by going to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website and registering your concern (see the box in the upper right-hand corner of the site). Better yet, if you live in the area go to one of the open meetings and speak your mind. The proposed regulation is H6 – interesting that they classified it under “hunting."

The last day to comment is Friday, January 22.