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Southwest Washington Wildlife Reports
Brian Calkins, Acting Wildlife Program Manager

September 18, 2006

Region 5 Wildlife Areas

Cowlitz Wildlife Area - Vegetation Management Activities: Assistant Manager Vanderlip and Natural Resource Tech Morris have made herbicide applications to approximately 35 acres of the wildlife area. These applications are part of an integrated vegetation management approach to control several weed species such as reed canarygrass, Canada thistle and blackberry. The objective is to ensure species diversity within the plant communities that inhabit our wintering waterfowl and wildlife forage fields.

Cowlitz Wildlife Area - Beaver Dam Removal: Assistant Manager Vanderlip and Natural Resource Tech Morris removed a beaver dam from in front of the pond riser on the Young Road Pond in the Mossyrock Unit. The dam had plugged the riser and prevented wildlife area staff from conducting wet soil management activities. The hydrology to these ponds is dependent upon precipitation and the resulting high water table. Water levels are manipulated via the risers to encourage emergent growth during the spring and summer. The ponds are flooded in the winter to provide habitat to migratory waterfowl.

Cowlitz Wildlife Area - Davis Lake HPA Hydrology Project: CWA staff and Justice Trucking began work on the HPA approved Davis Lake Hydrology Project. This year’s work involved removing blackberries from the edge of the ditch channel, removing accumulated silt and mud from the channel and removing reed canarygrass blockages to increase water flow. In all, 50 yards of silt and mud was removed and it was dumped on an upland site location. All work was done during the dry season when the ditch was no longer flowing.

Cowlitz Wildlife Area Recreation Information: Lewis County is currently under a burn ban and campfires are only allowed in approved fire rings in established campgrounds - open fires are not permitted anywhere on the wildlife area. Additionally, Peterman Ridge is currently closed to unauthorized vehicular traffic due to the high fire hazard and the neighboring industrial timberlands. Peterman Ridge is open to all non-motorized access. Tacoma Power updates lake levels and other recreation information on its toll-free Fishing and Recreation Line every weekday at 1-888-502-8690.

Mt. St. Helens--Society for Range Management Tour: Manager Calkins gave a presentation to the Society for Range Management Conference attendees who were touring the Mt. St. Helens area on Septerber 15th. Calkins spoke about elk in the Toutle Valley and how thier habitat conditions had changed since the eruption and how WDFW's elk herd management plan addresses the change.

Wildlife Diversity Division

Sandhill Crane Conservation: Biologist Anderson received notice that a small grant application for $60,000 from the Intermountain West Joint Venture for Conboy Lake NWR/Trout Lake/Klickitat River projects has been approved for funding. The North American Crane Working group will be the grantee and will manage these funds. WDFW is one of five other cooperators involved in this project. This proposal will help implement recommendations provided in the recovery plan for the state endangered Greater Sandhill Crane and the regional waterbird plan. In addition to benefits to Sandhill Cranes, protection and restoration and management of herbaceous wetland, ponderosa pine, oak woodlands, riparian and aspen habitats will benefit many of the priority species identified in the Intermountain West Waterbird Conservation Plan, the Washington Implementation Plan (Washington Steering Committee 2005), and Oregon/Washington Partners in flight conservation strategies for the region.