Conserving Natural Landscapes
Colockum Wildlife Area Thinning: Thinning on the Colockum Phase One Restoration Thin Project continued with favorable winter conditions. Good winter weather conditions are ideal for minimizing soil disturbance and damage to roads. The contractor is working hard to finish work in Unit One (265 acres) before spring weather conditions move in. If all goes as planned, cutting should be finished by Feb. 3. The remaining logs in Unit One should be skidded, processed, loaded, and hauled to area mills by Feb. 17. After the last logs are removed, operations will be suspended until the end of April or May after the snow has melted and soils are dry again. Work on the project will then continue until the middle of October, weather permitting.
Pile Burning on the Chelan and L. T. Murray Wildlife Areas: As overstocked forest stands are thinned the harvested trees are delimbed and unmerchantable portions of the tree, such as the very top and broken branches, are left on site. A portion of the debris is intentionally spread throughout the project area to put nutrients back into the soil, provide habitat, allow for prescribed fire operations, and to stabilize soils. The remainder of the debris is put into piles. All the debris is not spread throughout the project area because there is typically too much wood and excessive amounts of fuel increases the fire severity risk to the landscape. While some piles are retained as wildlife habitat, many are burned. When it comes to burning the piles, planning is crucial. A minimum depth of four to six inches of snow is desired to prevent wildfires. Staff members must consider the weather to ensure that winds won’t carry smoke from the burn piles to populated areas.
Scatter Creek Oak Woodland Restoration: Technician Waxwing cleared and piled invading trees and brush from five acres of oak woodland in the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area. Treatment was completed in the winter when sensitive understory plants are dormant. Full restoration, however, is a several year process. Ideally, prescribed fire and seeding of native wildflowers will follow within a few years. Federally threatened mazama pocket gophers will likely move into this area after restoration is completed as they have in similar, nearby areas after they were treated.
Scatter Creek Wildlife Area Units: Technician Morgan spread gravel at the Scatter Creek North Office area, calibrated and sprayed a selective grass herbicide at the Scatter Creek South C1 and C2 Burn Units, seeded the C2 Unit, planted bulbs at the D1 Unit, mowed Scotch broom in the restoration area of Scatter Creek South, assessed and repaired the main gate and finished construction of foot access at Davis Creek, removed some downed trees from trail at Violet Prairie, seeded West Rocky Prairie Unit G, removed blackberry at the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area around the orchard, and sprayed mustard rosettes at Protection Island.
North Puget Weed Crew: Local Weed Coordinator Zimmerman picked two sign design alternatives for the Island Unit that would meet weed crew needs. They provided a draft digital document of the weed crew’s extensive use of the Island Unit to Greg Meis and talked about vegetation management improvements at the wildlife area.
Coastal Invasive Species and Exotic Pest Workshop: Statewide Weed Coordinator Heimer attended and helped plan a Coastal Invasive Species and Exotic Pest Workshop with several Washington and Oregon partners to be held in Astoria in April.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
LINK Database: Range Ecologist Burnham collaborated with Wildlife Science Division staff members who have begun building processes to improve the process of reviewing permits and leases.
Wildlife Program School: Range Ecologist Burnham attended Wildlife Program School in Wenatchee and delivered a presentation addressing possible objectives for, and current scientific literature perspectives on, grazing as a form of fuels management in rangelands.
Simcoe Mountains Cultural Resource Management: Range Ecologist Burnham attended the latest Simcoe Mountains Cultural Resource Management meeting in Goldendale. The group completed work on the final draft chapter of the plan, which has been delivered to WDFW staff members for preparation and formatting. Public meetings for receiving comments are tentatively scheduled for February.
Other
Budget Reprioritization Criteria List: Statewide Weed Coordinator Heimer worked with local weed coordinators Holcomb and Zimmerman and added one-time items to the Budget Reprioritization List (BRC) to secure additional funding for weed priorities including equipment and staffing.
Aquatic Noxious Weed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit: Statewide Weed Coordinator Heimer participated in a meeting with Shawn Ultican (Department of Ecology), Todd Palzer (Department of Natural Resources), Chad Phillips and Greg Haubrich (Washington State Department of Agriculture) and Keith Folkerts (WDFW Habitat Program) to discuss a reissuance of a new Aquatic Noxious Weed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit in 2024. After the meeting, Heimer responded to several question Folkerts had regarding the permit.
Legislative Work: Statewide Weed Coordinator Heimer reviewed potential legislation and completed bill analyses for Senate Bill 5143 and House Bill 1019. Heimer also started reviewing changes to Senate Bill 5638 (RCW 36.61 Lake and Beach Management Districts) that denies public agencies’ ability to vote for or against the formation, eliminates or restricts costs and indirect costs associated with managing a district by a municipality, and increases secrecy in voting.