Biologists conducting mountain goat count by helicopter

Published 11:54 am Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Beginning today, July 12, wildlife biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a population census of non-native mountain goats in Olympic National Park and adjacent areas of Olympic National Forest.

Biologists will count the mountain goats from a low-flying helicopter during early morning hours between July 12-21, focusing on ice-free areas above 4,500 feet in elevation.

The helicopter will operate from a landing area at Obstruction Point. Visitors to that area may experience brief traffic delays when the helicopter is landing or taking off.

“This survey is part of Olympic National Park’s continuing effort to maintain current information about the population of non-native mountain goats,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.

“The data collected during this survey will be invaluable to the park’s mountain goat management plan, which is currently under development,” she said.

Preliminary results of the 2016 census will be available in September.

The last mountain goat census was conducted in 2011 and estimated the population to contain about 344 goats in the park and adjacent U.S. Forest Service lands, and that the population had increased approximately 5 percent a year since the prior survey in 2004.

The Mount Ellinor area was not counted during the 2011 survey, but in 2016, with the assistance of WDFW, the entire goat range will be part of the survey effort.

Mountain goats were introduced to the Olympic Mountains in the 1920s, prior to establishment of Olympic National Park.

The National Park Service is preparing an environmental impact statement for managing the park’s population of non-native mountain goats. More information about this planning process is available at parkplanning.nps.gov/olymgoat.