The commission may authorize the taking of tule elk pursuant to Section 332. When relocating tule elk, the department shall relocate the elk in areas suitable to them in the state and shall cooperate to the maximum extent possible with federal and local agencies and private property owners in relocating tule elk in suitable areas under their jurisdiction or ownership. When property or environmental damage occurs, emphasis shall be placed on managing each tule elk herd at a biologically sound level through the use of relocation, regulated hunting, or other appropriate methods, individually or in combination, as determined by the department in accordance with the statewide elk management plan developed pursuant to Section 3952, after consulting with local landowners.
The number of tule elk in the Owens Valley shall not be permitted to increase beyond 490, or any greater number hereafter determined by the department to be the Owens Valley’s holding capacity in accordance with game management principles.