Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) are found primarily in the mountain ranges and shrubsteppe of eastern Washington, with small herds being established or reestablished throughout the Pacific Northwest. They now overlap with Roosevelt elk in the southern Cascade Mountains and adjacent areas. Many Rocky Mountain elk populations currently in Washington stem from elk transplanted from Yellowstone National Park in the early 1900's.

The Priority Habitats and Species (PHSREGION) Database consists of polygons that describe occurances of priority habitats and species. Priority habitats are those habitat types with unique or significant value to many fish or wildlife species. Priority species are those fish and wildlife species requiring special efforts to ensure their perpetuation because of their low numbers, sensitivity to habitat alteration, tendency to form vulnerable aggregations, or because they are of commercial, recreational, or tribal importance. The mapped habitats and species are identified uniquely by an EOFORM number. A species or habitat might occur in more than one polygon. Because of the nature of the data, many of the polygons will overlap each other. All priority species mapped areas represent known use areas; they are not potential habitats. PHSREGION may include locations of federal and state listed species (threatened, endangered, sensitive, candidate) and other priority non-game and game species. Locational data are associated with tables detailing each priority habitat and species. PHSREGION data are compiled by WDFW biologists using the best information available from research efforts, surveys, or field observations. The source of each delineated feature is described in the associated attribute tables. These data are not an exhaustive inventory of priority habitats and species for the State of Washington. They represent the best knowledge of the WDFW biologists. The database is updated as knowledge improves.