A Coal-fired Eastern Elk Empire Faces New Challenges

Until 25 years ago, no wild elk herd had roamed the southeastern U.S. since the Civil War. Today, roughly 14,000 elk roam 7.3 million acres of what’s now known as the Coalfield Elk Zone, spanning Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. What could have been a wildlife wasteland was transformed into a wildlife Shangri La. Will it last? By Paul Queneau