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Southwest Washington
Wildlife Reports
October
6, 2008
Region
5 Wildlife Areas
Shillapoo Wildlife
Area: Annual Contract Tasks: The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) funds
the operation, maintenance, and enhancement activities occurring on the Shillapoo
Wildlife Area as part of their wildlife mitigation program. From July through
September each year Wildlife Area Manager Calkins must devote a substantial
amount of time to satisfying the requirements of BPA's contracting system. This
includes preparing a new statement of work for the coming fiscal year in the
PISCES contract system and a detailed line item budget. An equipment inventory
must also be updated each year. We then provide information on activities that
may create soil disturbance to BPA's environmental compliance section to begin
a cultural resources Section 106 review. Once these items that are required
for a new contract are submitted to BPA for their review and approval, Calkins
then begins work on documenting progress on individual work items in the current
year’s contract in the PISCES system, which includes entering the quantity,
location, and cost of completed work in their database. A narrative report is
also required, which was completed and submitted by the September 30th due date.
This year Calkins also reviewed and edited a report summarizing wetland vegetation
sampling written by Assistant Manager Hauswald and also uploaded it into PISCES.
After these reports are reviewed by BPA they will be available on their website.
In the coming weeks Hauswald and Calkins will also be preparing a report of
herbicide use during the 2008 contract period and an herbicide plan for the
2009 contract.
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| Before
and after forage enhancement project at the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area |
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Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area: Forage Enhancement: Wildlife Area Manager Calkins recently spent a day helping Volunteer Mike Braaten with one of his projects funded through WDFW's Volunteer Cooperative Grants Program. The work, done primarily with ATV's, included spreading seed and fertilizer and dragging a pasture harrow across an area at the east end of the Wildlife Area where we hope to increase forage production for elk. This was the second seed application on this particular site this year. The previous work, done in the spring, made an obvious improvement to production on the site, however; it was apparent that a second application of seed would be beneficial. The images at right depict the site before the project began and increased growth on the site this year. Experience on similar sites in the Wildlife Area in the past has generally shown that it takes three to five years of diligent maintenance to get good productivity on sites like this. Mr. Braaten has received funding through the cooperative grants program for a second project near the entrance to the Wildlife Area that will get under way soon.
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| WDFW
staff and Washington Conservation Corps crew worked to improve safety
and appearance of the Leidle Park Campground on the Klickitat Wildlife
Area |
Klickitat Wildlife Area: Leidle Park Campground (WDFW boating access site): Manager VanLeuven worked with Department of Natural Resources fire crews to implement some thinning of brush and small trees as well as trimming limbs on larger trees to improve the appearance and safety of the site. The Washington Conservation Corps crew will chip the piled material.
Off-Road/Access Activity: Manager VanLeuven has posted signs to advise people of routes that are off-limits to vehicle travel. VanLeuven worked on blocking an illegal ATV trail at a campground. Reports have been received of people using a "non-access" site along the Klickitat River for launching boats at the Mineral Springs Unit. This user-built boat ramp issue has recently become an issue. The streamside vegetation is being damaged due to people driving vehicles down to the water. Signs will be posted to try and curtail the activity however; it will probably require physical barriers to be effective.
Outreach: Manager VanLeuven gave a presentation exemplifying “outdoor careers” at evening camp to 7th grade students from the Outdoor School for the Goldendale School District.
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| Swale
Creek Unit |
Swale Creek Unit: Manager VanLeuven continued to survey the new property and evaluate fencing needs. Deer were observed in one corner of the parcel, which is fairly difficult to get to. The attached photo is a good view of the WDFW property north of Swale Canyon.
Game
Management Division
Pheasant Release Site Monitoring: Wildlife Area Manager Calkins and Assistant
Manager Hauswald conducted car counts at the Shillapoo and Woodland Bottoms
pheasant release sites. The counts are conducted three times each season at
all Western Washington release sites and the information is used to allocate
birds between sites the following season. During the counts 142 cars were tallied
at the Shillapoo sites and 27 at the Woodland site, which is owned by the Washington
Department of Natural Resources. Volunteers will release pheasants at these
sites twice per week throughout the season until Thanksgiving.
Deer Surveys: Biologists Holman and Volunteer Soderlind conduced a night spotlighting survey for deer in the Washougal (568) Game Management Unit. Survey conditions were favorable and 71 deer were observed (most were classified) during the 5-hour survey. Bobcats, nighthawks, owls, and a coyote were also observed during the effort. September 30th marks the conclusion of the deer productivity survey period for 2008. Any volunteers or WDFW Staff members who have deer observations recorded are reminded to turn their data in to Biologist Holman at the Region 5 office.
Mountain Goats: Biologist Prince joined USFS staff from Randle on a hike up Jumbo Peak to count mountain goats in the Dark Divide area of Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Eighteen goats were observed; two of them were kids. No collared goats were seen this year in the area. The round trip hike starts from Sunset Peak and is about 6 miles long. Fall colors and huckleberries were plentiful, making it a productive and enjoyable day.
Wildlife
Diversity Division
Western Pond Turtles: Biologist Anderson reports that the 2008 field
season is over and we had a record year for collection of juvenile hatchlings
from the head start program. A total of 57 hatchlings have been collected and
transported to the Oregon Zoo, and 52 juvenile western pond turtles have been
collected and taken to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. This gives us a grand
109 hatchlings from Klickitat County this year. There are still a few eggs that
may still hatch so there's a possibility of more. Biologist Slavens has done
another great job of orchestrating the field effort this year.
Outreach/Education: Biologist Anderson gave a wildlife presentation to the Trout Lake Community Wildfire Protection Crew. Since 2004, the Trout Lake Community Wildfire Protection Pan has been funded to be a proactive force in the Trout Lake community, promoting wildfire awareness and planning fuel reduction projects to safeguard homes, property, livestock, and natural resources. Biologist Anderson presented information on local wildlife and how different habitat improvement projects can benefit the diversity of species found in that area.
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