In 2000, Bob Torstenson and the Elk Foundation prepared a comprehensive wildlife management plan for the Double H Ranch--a framework for habitat improvements that would promote healthy and abundant wildlife populations for decades to come.
Enhancing the Land
So when we accepted ownership of the ranch following Bob's death two years later, the task of managing the Torstenson Wildlife Center for elk and other wildlife was already clearly and concisely spelled out. Following Bob's vision, we've conducted a host of habitat stewardship projects under the management plan, including:
- planting cottonwoods to provide a windbreak and shade to reduce evaporation from North Lake
- building rock structures to slow run-off and improve watering holes in dry canyons
- replacing barbed wire fencing with a single strand of smooth wire on the bottom, allowing pronghorns to easily slip underneath
- prescribed burning to open up decadent, choked forests and rejuvenate understory grasses and shrubs.
Upcoming habitat projects at the TWC include wetland enhancements, road removal, drilling a new water well, adding water storage, water lines and a solar pump, removing encroaching trees from meadows and more prescribed burning.
Bearing Fruit
Our efforts are paying off. Native plant communities are rebounding. Water sources have recharged. The health and size of elk, mule deer and pronghorn herds has improved and expanded. And, remaining true to its working heritage, the TWC continues to produce native grasses and forbs for both livestock and wildlife.