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Southwest Washington Wildlife Reports
Brian Calkins, Acting Wildlife Program Manager

December 4, 2006

Biologists Receive Service Awards: Recently District Biologists Anderson and Miller received awards for their service with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Anderson was recognized for 20 years of service. During his career he has been instumental in recovery work with bald eagles, peregrine falcons and western pond turtles in the Columbia River Gorge. He is also responsible for managing game species including one of the states most popular deer herds in Klickitat County.

Miller received his 30 year service award highlighting his work with elk and Canada geese in the region. He has been the agency lead in studies and management of elk in the Mt. St. Helens area since the eruption in 1980. He also spent several years studying Canada Geese in the Lower Columbia River that led to one of the states first early September hunts to manage the population. Miller has also been instumental in work related to the recovery of dusky Canada geese and Columbian white-tailed deer.

Region 5 Wildlife Areas:

Shillapoo Lake Value Engineering Study: WDFW has been working for several years with the US Army Corps of Engineers on a project that would reestablish wetland habitat in about 450 acres of the drained Shillapoo Lakebed. The project includes construction of levees and water control structures to manage water levels and vegetation. The drainage system within the diking district would be modified and the pump system would be upgraded to protect private lands from flooding and allow for the best water management capability in the wetlands. Wildlife Area Manager Calkins and Assistant Manager Hauswald recently met with the Corps to review the project and look for ways to improve it's functionality and also opportunities to reduce the cost of the project before construction begins. The two agencies hope to begin construction work on the project this summer.

Game Division:

Columbian White tailed Deer: Surveys are underway in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties to evaluate flood damage impacts to CWTD and fall composition ratios. USFWS personnel ground surveyed 100 acres on the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge and found no deer carcasses. The survey was done to help explain the low numbers of deer seen on the refuge ( 8) since the high water earlier in November. The hope is that the deer moved to nearby high ground and will return to the refuge soon.

Ground counts were conducted by District Wildlife Biologist Miller and volunteer Dan Howell in the Willow Grove and Barlow Point areas near Longview. Only 11 deer were observed, but fawns were detected which was a very positive note. One mature buck was observed in a herd of 5 does and fawns, hopefully we will continue to see recruitment in the small sub population.