House Passes Bill to Manage Elk Population

As the elk population explodes in Kittitas County, more elk-car collisions have been happening.

Representative Tom Dent says it's time to take action.

"The result of that – we have these elk spilling out into areas where we don’t want them to be – in the farmer’s yards, their hay barns, just about everywhere. But the biggest issue we have is they’re also crossing I-90."

Dent is sponsoring a bill that would create a pilot project to manage and reduce the elk populations that would include depredation hunts and other hunting opportunities of Colockum elk.

The bill passed the House in a near-unanimous vote and heads to the Senate for confirmation.