Olympic
Fisher Reintroduction
Following eight years of analysis and planning,
WDFW and Olympic National Park initiated the Olympic fisher reintroduction
project in December of 2007. With the assistance of the British
Columbia Ministry of Environment and the BC Trappers Association,
18 fishers (12 females and 6 males) were captured in central British
Columbia from December 16, 2007 to February 29, 2008. The 18 animals
were reintroduced into Olympic National Park during two separate
releases (see map of capture sites and release sites below). On
January 27, 2008, 11 fishers (6 females and 5 males) were brought
from central British Columbia to Port Angeles, Washington and released
the next morning at five locations in Olympic National Park. Four
fishers were released along the Hurricane Ridge Road and seven were
released in the Elwha Valley. On March 1, 2008 another 7 fishers
(6 females and 1 male) were brought from BC to Port Angeles and
released the next morning at three locations in the Elwha Valley
of the Park. Pictures and videos of the releases can be seen in
the photo and video gallery.
The goal of
the project is to release a total of 100 fishers into Olympic National
Park over a three-year period. An estimated 40 fishers will be released
in each of the winters of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010.
Each released
fisher is equipped with a small radio transmitter. These transmitters
allow biologists to monitor fisher movements,
survival, home range establishment and reproduction. Ultimately
this information will be used to track the success of the fisher
restoration project. Research and monitoring efforts will continue
as biologists track reintroduction success and study how fishers
adapt to this new landscape.
The Olympic
fisher reintroduction project has brought together a diverse partnership
of collaborating agencies and organizations to plan, manage, administrate,
fund and support all aspects of reintroducing fishers to Olympic
National Park. The partnership is also responsible for monitoring
reintroduction success and conducting research into fisher biology
and ecology on the Olympic Peninsula.
 Reintroduction
Planning
Planning
efforts to evaluate the feasibility of restoring fishers to Washington
began in 2002. The Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Conservation
Northwest (CNW; known then as Northwestern Ecosystem Alliance)
initiated a reintroduction feasibility assessment for fishers in
Washington to evaluate whether sufficient habitat existed in the
state to support a fisher population. WDFW and CNW completed the
Feasibility
Assessment for Reintroducing Fishers to Washington in 2004.
That assessment indicated that the fisher could be successfully
reintroduced to three areas in their historical range in Washington:
the Olympic Peninsula, the southwestern Cascades and the northwestern
Cascades.
Because the
Olympic Peninsula was seen as the most suitable location for the
first fisher reintroduction, WDFW and the National Park Service
(Olympic National Park) entered into an agreement to jointly propose
a fisher reintroduction project in Olympic National Park. The U.S.
Forest Service (Olympic National Forest) was a cooperator for the
project. WDFW, with input from the Park and funding from U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, developed an Implementation
Plan for Reintroducing Fishers into Olympic National Park. The
National Park Service and WDFW evaluated the proposal for public
review in the Olympic
National Park Fisher Reintroduction Plan/Environmental Assessment,
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Details
on the project implementation and long term research and monitoring
plans can be found in those two documents.
Monitoring
and Research
Each
released fisher is equipped with a radio-transmitter to enable biologists
to monitor reintroduction success. Monitoring efforts will also
guide the adaptive management process and serve as a foundation
for research on fishers in Washington. Biologists will evaluate
reintroduction success by tracking the survival, movements, habitat
use and reproduction of released fishers. The research is being
lead by USGS and the NPS for the Department of the Interior and
by WDFW for the State. However, many other partners
are contributing to and participating in the monitoring and research
phase of the project.
All 18 fishers
released in 2008 were equipped with radio-transmitters: 15 males
and females with radio-collars and three males with abdominal implant
transmitters. Efforts to track fishers began as soon as they were
released and will continue as long as their transmitters are functioning
(18-36 Months). The transmitters allow biologists to locate each
fisher using radio-telemetry, both by air in a fixed-wing airplane
and from the ground. Because there are so few roads into the interior
of the Park, most locations will be obtained though aerial telemetry.
The efforts since January 2008 to track released fishers and observe
their behavior are summarized periodically in our project
updates.
Olympic
Fisher Reintroduction Partnership
The fisher
reintroduction is conducted through a partnership of agencies and
organizations. Project management is provided jointly by Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife and Olympic National Park. The U.S.
Geological Survey, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and
Olympic National Park are leading a research program, including
monitoring, to evaluate the success of the reintroduction. Other
partners and cooperators are providing financial or logistical support
for management and research tasks. The project is an adaptive undertaking.
Information obtained through research will indicate how the reintroduction
is progressing and allow managers to adjust the reintroduction approach,
if necessary, to improve the likelihood of successfully reestablishing
fishers on the Olympic Peninsula and, in the future, to other locations
in the Pacific Northwest.
Lead Agencies
for Project Management and Implementation
Lead Agencies
for Research and Monitoring
Partners
and Cooperators
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