Proposal 200600500: Asotin Creek Wildlife Area O&M (Schlee Acquisitions)

Section 1. Administrative

Project title:

Organization: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Short description
The Asotin Creek Wildlife Area (Schlee Acquisitions) provide habitat for salmonid species residing in George Ck and Asotin Creek as well as upland wildlife as mitigation for losses of wildlife habitat due to dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers.

Information transfer
It will be available in a variety of forms including printed reports, maps, and reports available on the WDFW website or through the BPA managed PICES system.

Contacts

Contact name	Role(s)	Address	Phone	Email
Robert Dice	Form Submitter	Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife 1049 Port Way Clarkston, WA 99403	509-758-3151 fax 509-758-9151	dicerid@dfw.wa.gov
Nathan Pamplin	Reviewer	Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife		Nathan.Pamplin@dfw.wa.gov

Section 2. Location

Province: Blue Mountain   Subbasin: Asotin

Specific locations

Lat/long	Location desc	Waterbody (lake or stream)	County/State	Subbasin	Resolution	Primary?
46 deg 16' 51.21, 117 deg 08' 55.08	6 miles SW of Asotin in George and Rockpile creeks	George Creek	Asotin Washington	Asotin	county	No
46 deg 13' 29.45, 117 deg 20' 17.22	16 miles SW of Asotin at Smoothing Iron Ridge.	Smoothing Iron Ridge	Asotin Washington	Asotin	county	Yes

Section 3. Species

Primary Wildlife: All Wildlife

Additional species: Elk, Mule Deer, Whit-tailed Deer, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gray Wolf

Section 4. Past accomplishments

FY	Accomplishment
2003	Project began 10/1/03 - Construction of 1.3 miles boundary fence in Rockpile Creek. - Repaired and repainted an equipment trailer - Maintained physical improvements including buildings and water systems - Maintained boundary fences - Controlled Weeds
2004	Maintained boundary fences, maintained physical improvements, controlled noxious weeds, conducted breeding bird point surveys, completed endangered plant survey, improved and repaired water system on Smmothing Iron Ridge.
2005	Continued boundary fence maintenance, controlled noxious weeds, completed endangered plant survey, maintained physical improvements.

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Funding source	Project ID	Project Title	Relationship
BPA	200205300	Assess Salmonids Asotin Cr Ws	Study assessing salmonids in project lands - South Fork of Asotin Creek
BPA	200205400	Protect & Restore Asotin Cr Ws	Road obliteration projects in the drainage reduce sediments deposited on project lands in South Fork of Asotin Creek.
PCSRF - WSRFB	01-1233	Asotin Creek Six-Year Seed Pro	Project administered through Asotin County Conservation District to reduce sediment in Asotin Creek among others.
BPA	199106100	Swanson Lake Wildlife Mitigati	Sharp-tailed grouse/habitat restoration. Supports this project and WDFW goals and objectives.
BPA	199609401	Scotch Creek Wildlife Area	Sharp-tailed grouse/habitat restoration. Supports this project and WDFW goals and objectives
BPA	200600400	Wemas Wildlife Area O&M	Potential sharp-tailed grouse/habitat restoration. Supports this project and WDFW goals and objectives.

Section 6. Objectives

Objective title	Description	Relevant Subbasin Plan	Relevant strategy(ies)	Page number(s)
Control noxious weeds	Control noxious weeds on BPA funded lands on the Asotin Creek Wildlife Area with an emphasis on riparian areas. Mainly South Fork of Asotin Creek and George Creek.	Asotin	Control noxious weeds to restore upland and riparian habitat areas[Strategy left blank]	169
Implement management activities and schedules	Maintain boundary fences annually to protect habitat from trespass livestock grazing and vehicle encroachment. Maintain project infrastructure, buildings, equipment, and water systems	Asotin	Maintain fences each year on a timely basis. Maintain buildings and associated water systems.	167-170
Maintain and enhance habitat for upland wildlife	Maintain vegetation on both units to hold big game animals on agency land. Ensure that approximately 475 acres of agricultural land seeded to native grass in 2008 reaches maturity and thrives. Maintain 125 acres of annual forage foodplots seeded to mainly winter wheat, canola or other crops for big-game retention.	Asotin	Work cooperatively with RMEF and local sportsmen organizations for support funding for annual foodplots and other wildlife enhancement projects.	167-170
Restore Riparian Areas	Restore riparian areas through weed control and possible tree and shrub plantings	Asotin	Maintain planted trees and shrubs to restore riparian habitat in George, Rockpile and S. Fork of Asotin Creeks	167-170

Section 7. Work elements

Work element name	Work element title	Objective(s)	Start date	End date	Estimated budget	Sponsor performs work?
Operate and Maintain Habitat/Passage/Structure	Control Noxious Weeds	Control noxious weeds	10/1/2009	9/30/2012	$125,000	Yes
	Description: Control noxious weeds on upper and lower units with emphasis on riparian areas. Riparian areas include South Fork of Asotin Creek, George Creek, and Rockpile Creek.
Operate and Maintain Habitat/Passage/Structure	Implement management activities and schedules	Implement management activities and schedules	10/1/2009	9/30/2012	$197,170	Yes
	Description: Repair/maintain boundary stock fences, maintain facilities, equipment and infrastructure, maintain water system on Smoothing Iron Ridge.
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data	Monitoring and Evaluation	Implement management activities and schedules	10/1/2009	9/30/2012	$23,273	Yes
	Description: Monitor and evaluate habitat responce to various treatments such as herbicide application and seeding native grass.
Plant Vegetation	Plant Big Game Forage Food Plots	Maintain and enhance habitat for upland wildlife	10/1/2009	9/30/2012	$48,000	Yes
	Description: On a yearly basis, plant big game forage crops with the main intent of holding elk on Smoothin Iron ridge away from adjacent private agricultural lands. The Forage plots are planted on approximately 120 acres which was formally farmed by the sharecropper. In 2 spring 2008, the sharecropper announced he was was no longer going to raise wheat on 600 acres of agricultural lands on Smoothing Iron Ridge. The 600 acres of wheat ground has a long history of providing a food source and attractant for big game - mainly elk. The majority of the fields was seeded to native grass with the exception of 120 acres which will continue to be planted to winter wheat and other desirable annual vegetation for wildlife.
Operate and Maintain Habitat/Passage/Structure	Maintain seeded agricultural fields	Maintain and enhance habitat for upland wildlife	10/1/2009	9/30/2012	$72,000	Yes
	Description: In the fall of 2008, approximately 480 acres of former agricultural fields were seeded to native grass as a result of the sharecropper abruptly announcing that he was no longer interested in raising wheat crops on the fields. With no interest from other potential farmers, WDFW seeded the majority of the fields to native grass. Though recently seeded, a number of treatments are necessary to ensure success of grass seeding. Those treatments include: herbicide application, mowing and some potential reseeding. Treatments will be most intensive the first few years and will fade as the grass matures.
Work Element budget total:					$465,443.00

Section 8. Budget

Item	Note	FY 2010 cost ($)	FY 2011 cost ($)	FY 2012 cost ($)
Personnel	Includes benefits and overall increase of 2% per year for salary increases over the period (COLA).	$76,695	$78,996	$81,366
Other	Monitoring and evaluation	$7,567	$7,756	$7,950
Supplies	Hebicide, building materials, equipment parts, lubicants, sprayor parts, fertilizer, seed.	$28,884	$28,241	$27,578
Overhead	Required by WDFW	$39,486	$40,130	$40,794
Itemized budget totals		$152,632	$155,123	$157,688

FY 2010-12 Itemized budget total:  $465,443.00

Cost sharing

Type of funding source	Funding source or organization	Item or service provided	FY 2010 est value ($)	FY 2011 est value ($)	FY 2012 est value ($)	Cash or in-kind?	Status
non-profit	Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation	Volunteer Labor, material costs	$3,500	$3,500	$3,500	Cash	Under Development
state	Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	PILT	$2,500	$2,500	$2,500	Cash	Confirmed
state	Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Use of State owned equipment	$20,000	$20,000	$20,000	In-Kind	Confirmed
state	Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Clarkston shop and office facility	$3,000	$3,000	$3,000	In-Kind	Confirmed
other	Sharcroppers	Agricultural Leases	$33,094	$33,094	$17,452	Cash	Confirmed
Cost share estimate totals			$62,094	$62,094	$46,452

FY 2010-12 total cost share estimate:  $170,640

Section 9. Project future

Outyear budgets	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
	$162,969	$167,043	$171,219	$175,500	$179,887	$184,187

Note
3% was added for 2011 to account for inflation

Likely project termination/end date: No end date

Termination notes

Final deliverables

Section 10. Narrative

Reviews

ISRP final recommendation: Meets Scientific criteria? Yes (Qualified)

The ISRP thanks the Agency for responding to our requests for the grazing plan and the explanation for maintaining the agricultural fields on the property. The ISRP qualifies its recommendation with an explicit expectation that results of monitoring vegetation and wildlife response to grazing will be included in the next review cycle.

from May 19, 2009 ISRP 2009-17 report

Sponsor response to ISRP preliminary review

200600500 Asotin ISRP response.doc (830k)

Final 2009 Pilot Grazing Plan.pdf (2mb)

20090406-Wildlife Area Report.pdf (6mb)

ISRP preliminary recommendation: Meets scientific criteria? Response requested

The reviewers request:
a) A clear justification for maintaining the agricultural fields.
b) More details on how they plan to restore habitat. They mention replanting native plants. Please provide some methodological detail about this restoration. For example, what plants seeds will be used?
c) A better link among objectives, work elements, and M&E.
The objectives need to be more detailed. For example, please describe in greater detail in the M&E section where and when you will sample the vegetation using vegetation sampling points. We would like to see an example of a grazing plan if cattle are going to be managed on the Project.
d) That any M&E work completed since 2004 be summarized, including bird surveys, elk counts, deer counts, sheep counts, vegetation response to plantings/restoration, and weed control efforts.

from Mar 26, 2009 ISRP 2009-7 report

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