Where Idaho, Washington and Oregon meet along the Snake River lies the 78,000-acre Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area, home to a slew of cultural and natural resources. The Nez Perce people told their stories here on rock walls. Rock cairns mark ancient paths and vision quests. The ridges and river bottoms provide winter and summer range for 1,200 elk, as well as thriving herds of white‑tailed and mule deer. Hosting more than 100 species of birds, including flammulated owls and white-headed woodpeckers (both species of special concern), Craig Mountain also provides a home to a restored population of bighorn sheep, offering hunting and wildlife viewing.

This bounty of wildlife and hunting opportunities is why the Elk Foundation began working with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (DFG), BLM and others in 1997 on habitat enhancement projects and permanent land protection in the area.

Most recently, the Elk Foundation purchased a key inholding of 160 acres on Captain John Creek. The land was then conveyed to the BLM who will manage it in partnership with the Idaho DFG. While a relatively small piece of land, the area is a priority for both agencies, as it provides habitat for ungulates and a host of other wildlife, while the waters of Captain John Creek support a valuable spawning tributary for threatened steelhead and chinook salmon from the mighty Snake flowing far below.