Managing Wildlife Populations
Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area: Spring has arrived at the Sunnyside Unit and along with many migratory birds returning and plants coming back to life, many of the resident wildlife are out and about, enjoying the warmer weather.
District 8 Beaver Relocation: District 8 staff members relocated a beaver from the edge of a busy road in Yakima to the Yakima Nation relocation facility located in Klickitat. This was the first beaver to be received at the facility. At the facility, a smolt tank is utilized as an artificial habitat, where the beaver can be monitored for several days and rinsed of any potential chitrid fungus prior to relocation nearby.
Parke Creek Elk Conflict Study: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Technician Ogburn deployed 20 cameras in the Parke Creek area with the assistance of local landowners. These cameras will be used to monitor elk movement in association with the Elk Conflict Pilot Project.
District 8 Townsend Ground Squirrels: District 8 Wildlife staff members and L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart detected two new colonies on the L.T. Murray Wildlife area. District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole successfully captured and isolated ground squirrel calls as a first step to researching a novel approach of detecting and monitoring ground squirrel occurrence.
District 8 Lek Search: District 8 Wildlife staff members conducted lek searches on local wildlife area lands to assess potential presence. No grouse were detected.
District 4 Burrowing Owl Transmitter Recovery: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra retrieved a transmitter attached to a burrowing owl. The transmitter had been placed on the juvenile owl in 2023 at its hatch site near Pasco. In 2024, this male bred in Washington, successfully fledging at least six young. The transmitter was still attached to the owl, which had died for undetermined reasons in an agriculture field.
District 4 Bobcat Jaw Collection: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra coordinated with several trappers who reported bobcat and otter harvest to get pelts sealed by the spring deadline as well as to comply with the new jaw submission guidelines for bobcat sampling. Many folks were given guidance on how to submit better samples next year.
District 4 Opportunistic Amphibian Monitoring: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra was training U.S. Fish and Wildlife seasonal technicians on ferruginous hawk survey protocols when he made an impromptu stop at a roadside seasonal puddle to check for amphibians. Two pairs of Great Basin spadefoot toads were quickly detected, both in amplexus (where males grasp onto females for extended time during breeding). One pair was quickly captured to confirm species ID, then released still attached. Data was submitted via the staff Incidental Observations survey tool.
District 4 Artificial Burrows installed for Burrowing Owls: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra coordinated installation of 18 new artificial burrow sites near Pasco as part of a burrowing owl conservation project. Staff members from the wildlife area, Wildlife Diversity Program, Habitat Program, Private Lands Program, and Capitol and Asset Management Program Archeology assisted with digging and monitoring the sites. These burrows were installed to replace some artificial burrows that have been lost over the past several years to development or conversion at locations where they had been voluntarily hosted by private landowners.
Wenas Wildlife Area- Elk Fence Check: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members conducted elk fence checks for fence repairs or maintenance.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Whiskey Dick Unit Road Maintenance: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart submitted a PAM for a temporary extension of the current vehicle exclusion rule for the Pump House and Cayuse roads for public safety during construction. The Corrals access site to the Whiskey Dick unit will open to public vehicle travel on the usual May 1st opener. The Cayuse and Pump House roads are expected to be closed through the end of June.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Kittitas County Field and Stream Club Test and Remove Presentation: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Erin Wampole presented to the Kittitas County Field and Stream Club on the Tri-State Test and Remove Bighorn Sheep study. Members gained knowledge on WDFW efforts to manage pneumonia outbreaks in local bighorn sheep populations and on-going coordinated research.
Kittitas County Conflict: Elk are migrating in significant numbers westward following significant green up in the past two weeks. Elk are hanging out in some private land areas and have been more difficult to move.
WDFW Sergeant Johnson and District 8 Conflict Specialist Wetzel gave Carnivore Biologist Beausoleil’s bear information presentation to Suncadia staff members.
Yakima County Conflict: Elk in the Tampico area have been outside the elk fence in several areas. The elk have begun to stay above and west of the elk fence and have followed significant new green up in the last two weeks. The fence was repaired in several areas.
A beaver came down the concrete irrigation spillway in Yakima and became trapped at the trash gate. District wildlife staff members were able to catch it and transfer it to a translocation area.
Colockum Wildlife Area Green Dot Roads: Colockum Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Hagan began showing Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray around the Colockum. One of the items they looked at together was the condition of green dot roads. Manager Gray began reviewing previous lists made regarding road conditions and documenting needs for future road maintenance on the Colockum.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Vegetation Management: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have been busy mowing upland habitats with weed infestations in preparation for spring spraying. Each year, Sunnyside staff members pick several areas to focus on for restoration and so far, they’ve worked on getting about 25 acres ready for spraying weeds followed up with native grass seeding in the fall.
Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Wetland Management: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members have begun spring drawdown of the moist soil units on the east side of the wildlife area in preparation for summer maintenance. Staff members continue to monitor water levels and maintain water control structures as necessary.
Wenas Wildlife Area- Shrub Planting: Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Biologist Miller and Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame planted 250 plugs of inland saltgrass. This native grass will provide feed and cover for wildlife and support soil health.
Wenas Wildlife Area- Firebreak and Parking Area Herbicide Spraying: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members sprayed firebreaks and parking areas for kochia, Russian thistle, and tumble mustard. Herbicide application will increase throughout the wildlife area for other noxious weeds as the season continues.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area- Forest Seedling Post-Fire Planting: The forestry team, including Statewide Specialist’s Forester Pfeifle and McRae, met with a planting contractor and facilitated the planting of approximately 20,000 ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and western larch tree seedlings. The area was commercially thinned in 2022 and damaged severely in the Retreat Fire of 2024. This was done to establish trees in the area to serve as a future seed source before grasses and brush develop post-fire.
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area - Whiskey Dick Unit Restoration: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart assessed survival of 40ci sagebrush plants that were planted along transect lines last fall at photo point sites. Three plants had been pulled out of the ground but of the remaining 52 planted evaluated, the survival rate was 92%.
Providing Education and Outreach
Wenas Wildlife Area- Kittitas Field and Stream Club Durr Rd Target Shooting Range Clean Up: 14 members of the Kittitas Field and Stream Club participated in a cleanup of target shooting trash and littered target building material at the Durr Rd Target Shooting Range. Kittitas Field and Stream Club has conducted this cleanup for many years at this shooting site and will hopefully continue to do so.
Wenas Wildlife Area- Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club Sheep Company Target Shooting Range Clean Up: Eight members of the Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club participated in a clean-up of target shooting trash and littered target building material. Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club has conducted this clean-up for many years at this shooting site and will hopefully continue to do so.
Wenas Wildlife Area- Pheasants Forever Shrub Planting: Eight members of the Yakima Pheasants Forever chapter joined Wenas Wildlife Area staff members in planting approximately 1,200 shrubs in the Black Canyon Fire burn of fall 2024. Species consisted of bitterbrush, big sagebrush, and golden currant.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Colockum Wildlife Area Seasonal Staff Hiring: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray went through the process for direct hiring a four-month seasonal worker. Natural Resource Worker Cuellar will begin on May 1st. Some of the main duties he will be working on include maintaining boundary fence, noxious weed control, picking up illegal dump sites/litter, and general maintenance on infrastructure.
Other
Colockum Wildlife Area Temporary Road Closure: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray coordinated with the Wenatchee Heights Reclamation District regarding the need for using a section of green dot road, two miles of Orr Creek Road, as a haul route for an emergency repair on Upper Wheeler Reservoir. The dam had a landslide that occurred this past spring on it and the Reclamation District is working on fixing this issue. The local community relies on water in this Reservoir to support their orchards/agricultural land. Approximately two miles of Orr Creek Road will be closed during haul operations 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday. This work is anticipated to last through the end of April.
Gray and Assistant Manager Hagan posted signs for the closure. Gray additionally worked with Communications Specialist Johnson regarding outreach for the temporary closure.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Road Clearing: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Venema and Natural Resource Worker Floyd cleared the Oak Creek Road of winter blowdown following the winter. Many fires weakened trees from the 2024 Retreat Fire had fallen across the road.