Current Report
	Report Archives

Southwest Washington Wildlife Reports
Fred Dobler, Wildlife Program Manager

May 15, 2006

Region 5 Wildlife Areas:

Assistant Manager Vanderlip and Manager Grabski manned the Department of Fish & Wildlife information booth at the Tacoma Power Open House at Mossyrock Park.

Cowlitz Wildlife Area - Tacoma Power Open House: Assistant Manager Vanderlip and Manager Grabski manned the Department of Fish & Wildlife information booth at the Tacoma Power Open House at Mossyrock Park. It was estimated that 895 guests visited the daylong event. Visitors to the booth were very interactive asking questions and generally engaged by the various display items. The open house is held in conjunction with the Mossyrock Tulip Fest so the attendees were in large part families out for a good time.

Cowlitz Wildlife Area - Vegetation Control: Assistant Manager Vanderlip has made several herbicide applications. Species targeted included Japanese knotweed and Canada thistle. The knotweed is located on the Kosmos unit and only a few stems were observed this year. The clumps were hit hard last year by first cutting the knotweed back to just above the first node then, glyphosate (at label rates) was sprayed directly into the hollow cavity of the cut canes and onto the remaining leaves. Approximately 18 acres (four fields) on the Kosmos and Davis Lake Units was sprayed with 2,4-D to control Canada thistle and other broadleafs. Additionally, invading blackberry along the edges of the Davis Lake Unit fields was sprayed with glyphosate.

The population of scotch broom at Swofford Pond was checked and several new plants were observed. The larger plants were hand pulled and the smaller ones were sprayed with glyphosate. Monitoring will continue.

Recreation Information - Riffe Lake Water Levels: Tacoma Power updates lake levels and other recreation information on its toll-free Fishing and Recreation Line every weekday at 1-888-502-8690.

WDFW's Western Washington Weed Crew spent three days recently on the mudflow portion of the Wildlife Area hand spraying scotch broom plants.

Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area Scotch Broom Control: WDFW's Western Washington Weed Crew spent three days recently on the mudflow portion of the Wildlife Area hand spraying scotch broom plants. Approximately 250 acres were covered by searching for individual plants on foot or ATV. This is the third year that the crew has been helping us. Each year they have started at the same point at the east boundary of the wildlife area and worked west. On each visit progress is made a little further to the west. Scotch broom is now getting hard to find in the areas that have been treated repeatedly.

Wildlife Area Manager Calkins also met a group of seven volunteers from RMEF and United Parcel Service on Saturday the 15th to pull scotch broom in an area that we plan to reseed. The plants were pulled here to get them completely removed and also to loosen the soil to make way for seeds to be planted later.

Wildlife Diversity Division:

New eagle nest at logging site: WDFW biologists were advised this week of a new bald eagle nest in the Glenoma area that was adjacent to an active logging site. The neighboring landowner's wildlife biologist contacted DNR and a stop work order was issued by DNR. District Biologist Miller spent most of 1 day examining maps and talking to the operator and other biologists about the site and the nest. Miller advised DNR that parts of the logging operation may proceed immediately and that further research on the nest location will determine if a bald eagle plan is required. An additional logging area in the future will definitely require a management plan as activities are proposed within the 400-800 foot buffer area.