THE STARKEY PROJECT: LONG-TERM RESEARCH FOR LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT
SOLUTIONS
Thomas M. Quigley, Station Director, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research
Station, 333 SW First Avenue, Portland, OR 97208, phone (503-808-2100), fax (503-808-2130),
email tquigley@fs.fed.us, and
Michael J. Wisdom
Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, Oregon 97850, phone (541-962-6532), fax (541-962-6504),
email mwisdom@fs.fed.us
The Starkey Project is a unique, long-term research program originally designed to study the
effects of key resource uses of National Forests on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk
(Cervus elaphus) habitats and populations. The original studies were completed in the 1990s,
but research on understanding the effects of new and on-going resource uses on deer and elk
continues today. In addition, a myriad of new studies are underway to understand the role of
these ungulates as disturbance agents that can dramatically alter the ecological patterns and
processes in forest ecosystems. The following set of papers at this special session of the 69th
North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference addresses this evolution of research
topics by The Starkey Project and associated research programs. This research now has a 15year history. With this history is a compelling array of scientific accomplishments made
possible through long-term commitments from a wealth of scientists and partners. We describe
the benefits of these long-term research commitments for mule deer, elk, and a myriad of
resource users of public and private lands in western North America, and highlight examples
from the many papers that follow in this session.