Managing Wildlife Populations
Pheasant Surveys: Private Lands Biologist Nizer, Natural Resource Technician Itrich, and a Pheasants Forever volunteer member helped conduct Saint John’s first pheasant ground survey in over 10 years. Nizer, Itrich, and the volunteer member saw 13 pheasant roosters and 29 hens for a total of 42 pheasants in the 6.63 miles walked. Surveys were done on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) hunting access properties and Department of Natural Resources land. On average, over six pheasants per mile were either flushed or spotted throughout the survey with one nesting site spotted.
Ferruginous Hawks: Biologist Brinkman completed an occupancy survey of a historic ferruginous hawk nesting territory in Lincoln County. All three historic nest sites were unoccupied and only one old nest structure was observed. However, red-tailed hawks were observed soaring nearby and a breeding pair of Swainson’s hawks was observed at an old homestead nearby.
Tucannon Bighorn Sheep: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman located the bighorn sheep this week. To date, four new lambs have been observed.
Golden Eagle: The Merengo birds were observed feeding at least one chick in the nest. An adult was seen flying in the Hartsock territory, but Wildlife Area Manager Dingman still has not been able to locate where they are nesting this year.
Bats: Biologists Lowe and Brinkman attended a meeting in Spokane with the nonprofit organization Climbers for Bat Conservation. This organization received a grant from WDFW to connect recreational climbers with bat biologists as a way to improve citizen science reporting of local bat roosts within climbing areas (i.e., bats that are roosting in cliffs/rock faces that are observed while climbing).
Ferruginous Hawk Camera Traps: Natural Resource Technician Moberg sorted through thousands of pictures taken remotely from ferruginous hawk platforms that were installed by WDFW biologists.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Turkey Season Questions: Private lands staff members answered numerous phone calls and emails from the public wondering where to hunt on private lands.
Voluntary Public Access Contracts: Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley continues to work on processing A-19’s for payment. This includes contacting and meeting landowners to get signatures, scanning and uploading the document on the shared drive for review and approval, and recording and documenting financial funds utilized. Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley worked with Contracts Specialist Cole in regard to contract amendments.
Recreation Access Site Maintenance and Management: Maintenance Mechanic Heimgartner and Natural Resource Technician Nielsen made the rounds and cleaned access sites across the district. Heimgartner worked with some contracted surveyors to conduct a bathometric survey of the river at Heller Bar boat ramp.
West Medical Lake Wildfire Project: The access area at West Medical Lake received a partial redevelopment of the property due to the loss of infrastructure from the Gray Fire in 2023. Lacey Construction Shop has been working on the property to prep the area for two new CXT toilets to replace the burnt down fiberglass toilets previously at the property. Natural Resource Technician Brant was onsite with the access truck and provided not only labor, but also the use of water and the pump on his truck to help with gravel compaction to prep the areas for the new vault toilets. Contractors will be on site next week to finish the project, which includes installation of a new perimeter fence and gate to secure the property in the off-season. The property also received a brand new, agency standard entrance sign welcoming the public to the West Medical Lake Access Area.
Silver Lake Access Area and Clear Lake: Natural Resource Specialist Daniel Dziekan and Natural Resource Technician Adam Brant met Tri-County Septic at Silver Lake for another round of vault pumping. Dziekan and Brant worked with the pumpers to remove litter from the vault during the pumping process. Allowing trash to build up, rather than removing it during each pumping event, results in additional work. A project which typically lasts an hour, took a full day, and resulted in an unbelievable amount of trash.
Dziekan and Brant removed 45 bags of litter from the two vaults at Silver Lake. Dziekan and Brant removed another 20 bags of litter from the single vault at Clear Lake. In total, the access area managers removed over 2,200 pounds of litter from the vault toilets. To offer a comparison, the double vault toilet at Newman Lake, which Dziekan has diligently been removing litter from each time it has been pumped, took Tri-County Septic and WDFW about an hour to pump, using under a dozen bags, and weighed approximately 400 pounds. Dziekan has never seen anywhere close to this amount of litter pulled from a vault in his ten-year career managing access areas. He estimated the vaults at Silver Lake were over halfway filled with trash.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Injured Owl: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris transported an injured great horned owl chick to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. The owl was picked up by a Spokane resident after it was found on their property with injuries to its head.
Black Bear: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson responded to several black bear calls and handed out informational pamphlets on how to secure attractants. Edmondson deployed an electric netting kit around a chicken coop that had been broken into.
Moose Relocation: WDFW staff members relocated a young cow moose that had been reported in Millwood earlier in the week. The moose crossed multiple busy roadways and was able to travel to the south hill before staff members were able to immobilize and relocate it outside of Spokane.
Stateline Elk: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb conducted near-daily patrols of historical elk calving grounds near the WA-OR state line. No evidence of cow elk beds has been noted thus far. Hazing efforts will continue for the next month to discourage elk calving in valuable commercial crops.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Habitat Planting: Private lands staff members installed 17,000 trees and shrubs across Region 1 through the spring season.
Habitat Maintenance: Private Lands Biologist Nizer and Natural Resource Technician Itrich sprayed trees and shrubs with deer repellent in areas that showed past deer damage on plants. Over 400 plants were sprayed with the repellent between two different sites.
Drone Spray Application: Private Lands Biologist Nizer hired out a company to spray a Ducks Unlimited project site which was a wetland crowded with bullrush and cattails. In total, 24 acres were sprayed and will be followed up with seeding in the fall.
Rustlers Gulch Wildlife Area (RGWA) Prescribed Burning: Prescribed burning efforts transitioned this week from Sherman Creek Wildlife Area (SCWA) near Kettle Falls to the Rustlers Gulch Wildlife Area (RGWA) near Deer Park. WDFW Burn Team, SCWA staff members, and contract fire crews mobilized to RGWA on Tuesday to freshen up control lines and install hose lays around burn unit perimeters. In total, 3.5 miles of hose was installed to provide water around burn unit perimeters. With controls in place and enough drying time following Tuesday’s rain on the units, firing was initiated on Thursday with approximately 50 acres treated. Prescribed burning continued on Friday with another 100 acres treated. Additional resources onsite during firing operations included a Department of Natural Resources fire engine and a 3,000-gallon water tender from the South Pend Oreille Fire District. The unit received rain on Saturday, so crews performed additional mop-up that day. The remaining 60 acres is expected to be treated on Sunday, weather and conditions permitting.
Revere Wildlife Area Maintenance: This week Wildlife Area Manager Mike Finch, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Cody Wagner and Natural Resource Technician Kyle Duclos made a trip down to the Revere Wildlife Area. The trip was to check out the replacement of the top wire from barbed to smooth on the north and west side of the wildlife area in order to change that fence line to meet wildlife friendly standards. The Washington Conservation Corp and Biologist Tyler Jennings worked on that fence line last week and installed two steel posts in concrete for new walk-through gates that will be installed soon. The walk-through gates will allow hunters to pass within the boundaries of the Revere Wildlife Area safely.
Also, while down at Revere, Duclos sprayed several patches of Scotch thistle that is outside the agriculture field boundaries. Everything within the agriculture field boundaries will be the responsibility of the new tenant. Finch, Wagner, and Duclos met up with three members of the Spokane Chapter of Pheasant Forever to inspect the shrub plots planted a couple weeks ago. Finch, Wagner, and Duclos went out to Z-Lake on the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area to check out the shrub plot that was planted almost one year ago by WDFW, Pheasant Forever, Spokane Audubon and many dedicated volunteer members. This shrub plot won 1st place in a onX National competition last year, with a $7,500 grand prize awarded to the Spokane Chapter of Pheasant Forever to use toward their next conservation project.
Boot Brush Stations: This week Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner and Natural Resource Technician Duclos installed two new boot brush stations donated from Washington Invasive Species Council to the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area. One of the boot brush stations was installed at the kiosk and bathroom area at Swanson Lakes and the other one was installed for access into Z-Lake along Telford Road. Concrete bags were laid over the top of the concrete until the concrete cures, after which the bags will be removed and the dirt will cover the concrete.
Providing Education and Outreach
Chief Joseph ATV Club Outreach: David Woodall and the LC Valley ATV Club did a ride out to Shovel Creek. They saw some elk, spring wildflowers, raptors, and some beautiful scenery.
Sheriff Department Training: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb assisted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Wade, Wolf Biologist Spence, and Conflict Supervisor Earl with the presentation of depredation investigation topics with the Garfield County Sheriff Department.
Odyssey Outdoor Camp: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris attended Odyssey’s outdoor camp to teach students about safe recreation and how to handle wildlife encounters. Students also learned how to identify tracks, scat, and skulls of large carnivore species and the importance of carrying bear spray.
Other
Equipment Prep.: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson assisted Biologist Baarstad with preparing and loading a tractor and seeder for transport to a site where planting will be done.
Conflict Equipment: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson picked up a paintball gun that had been loaned out to a member of the public who had been sustaining turkey damage to their yard. After picking up the paintball gun, Edmondson had all three of the CO2 canisters refilled.