Managing Wildlife Populations
District 8 Avian Influenza Sampling for Pelican Populations: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn processed pelican blood samples provided by Yakama Nation Biologist De Boer. These samples will be used to determine the pathological history of avian influenza in local populations, as well as potential resulting immunity.
District 8 Parke Creek Elk Pilot Project: District 8 Scientific Technician Ogburn began collecting data on the number of elk that cross the canal into agricultural land using video camera traps. This will assist landowners in crop damage claims, as well as provide data regarding elk movement.
District 4 Sunnyside-Snake River Amphibian Inventory: District 4 Scientific Technicians Reed and Hart conducted dip-netting for tadpoles across Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wildlife units. Detected amphibians included a mix of frogs, toads, and salamanders, including Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) like Woodhouse’s toads.
Sunnyside-Snake River Bird Banding: Region 3 Natural Resource Technician Pizzini and Private Lands Biologist Manderbach assisted Richland Rod & Gun Club volunteer members with banding of nesting wood ducks and Northern saw-whet owlets in the Windmill Ranch and Bailie Units of the Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area. Observations indicated several boxes had been recently used by nesting wood ducks.
Region 3 Kahlotus Tricolored Blackbirds: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach checked on the Register to View property outside Kahlotus to monitor tricolored blackbird usage. There are currently dozens (if not hundreds) of tricolored blackbirds in the area that the birds use as a breeding site. Mixed in with the tricolored blackbirds were some red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, and a goose pair with goslings, among other species.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area and Whiskey Dick Unit Openers: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area crew members opened gates at the Joe Watt Canyon and Robinson Canyon sites to allow public access into the winter elk closure area. 120 vehicles lined up at the Joe Watt site in hopes of finding elk antlers. The crew also opened gates on the Whiskey Dick Unit to allow vehicle access to the winter elk habitat protection area.
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area – Whiskey Dick Unit Roads: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart evaluated roads on the Whiskey Dick Unit. The Pump House and Cayuse roads being worked on by a Capital and Asset Management Program construction crew look great but other sites have washed out apparently due to greater than normal ground water seeping out through the road surfaces. Areas along Whiskey Dick Creek and Skookumchuck Creek have washouts that are forcing the public to either turn around or drive around.
Wenas Wildlife Area – Target Shooting Restrictions: Sunrise to 10:00 a.m. shooting restrictions are in place as of May 15. All shooting, both dispersed and designated target range shooting, are allowed from sunrise to 10:00am. All shooting is prohibited outside of the time frame. These restrictions will persist through September 15 or until a full target shooting closure is in effect due to fire danger.
Wenas Wildlife Area – Road and Trail Assessment / Inventory: Wenas Wildlife Area is working with a third-party contractor specializing in trail assessments and inventories, and the WDFW Statewide Recreation Team, to inventory and assess trails and roads in the Wenas Wildlife Area. This assessment will provide data on where and when road or trail maintenance is needed.
Region 3 Ice Harbor DNR Orchards Visit: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach and District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kaelber have been in talks with the Department of Natural Resources and one of their orchard operator lessees about ways to maintain orchard worker safety while also keeping the public land open for hunting. Issues with deer hunters in and around the orchard while staff members are working have become more prevalent over the last few years. The orchard manager took Manderbach and Kaelber on a tour of the orchard and areas where hunting would still remain safe. The plan is to setup Hunt by Reservation for disabled hunters with easy access blinds facing in safe directions, utilize later season, post-harvest hunt dates for special permit holders, and make a Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement contract for the crop damage occurring outside of hunting seasons.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
District 4 Rattlesnake Hills/Corral Canyon: District 4 Conflict Specialist Kaelber has been hazing elk out of agricultural crops on the south side of Rattlesnake Mountain. Elk have started moving off of Hanford in search of forage as the native grasses start to dry out. Conflict Specialist Kaelber has renewed 14 Damage Prevention Contracts with private landowners and has issued damage permits prior to the Summer Bull Elk damage season.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area - Elk Fence Reconstruction and Maintenance: A contractor began and continues to replace elk fence south of US Highway 12 on the Oak Creek Unit. This section has been planned for replacement for five or more years, but other priorities throughout the state due to wildfires delayed implementation. Additionally, funding was not available to complete all of the planned reconstruction. As a result, Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members have been fortifying fence outside of the contractor’s existing project area.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Sunnyside-Snake River Floating Wetlands: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Jahns, Natural Resource Tehcnician Pizzini, and Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach assisted the Franklin and Benton Conservation Districts with the implementation of their Floating Wetland Pilot Project. Artificial floating wetlands constructed of both synthetic and natural materials were installed on Powerline Lake and Mesa Lake. The floating wetlands are designed to provide a variety of ecological benefits including the enhancement of biodiversity by providing habitat, as well as improving water quality in areas where conventional riparian restoration is limited by precipitation and other climate constraints.
Wenas Wildlife Area – Aerial Herbicide Application: Central Valley helicopters treated 518 acres for broadleaf control and invasive noxious weeds in various sites on the Wenas. The sites treated are a mix of wildfire scars, elk feeding sites, and habitat restoration sites.
Wenas Wildlife Area – Whitetop and Thistle Herbicide Application: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members applied herbicide via backpack spraying to invasive and noxious weeds such as Whitetop, Canada thistle and Scotch thistle. Spraying will continue through the summer as proper application environments are available.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area – Herbicide Application: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members continue to do spot backpack herbicide applications to control noxious weeds and conduct weed assessments on portions of the 2024 Retreat Fire.
USFWS Paterson Unit Sagebrush Cache Update: Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, Natural Resource Technician Pizzini, and Habitat Biologist Maikis checked on the sagebrush island cache project from December of 2024 at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Paterson Unit between Plymouth and Paterson. Sagebrush seedlings were discovered in abundance underneath and around the sagebrush caches as well as areas where seedballs were placed. The seedlings had just started to come up and were still less than an inch tall, but these initial results are promising for the project’s success. The second site at Rattlesnake Slope will be checked soon as well.
Franklin County Shrub Planting Maintenance: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach treated a recent shrub planting in a draw off Neff Jones Road with an herbicide targeting invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass. A spring and fall treatment for a couple years should reduce the pressure from invasives and allow the shrubs to thrive. Future projects in the area will be sprayed out and mowed prior to planting to help ease the initial competition.
Providing Education and Outreach
Oak Creek Wildlife Area – Friends of Oak Creek Volunteer Awards Banquet: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members attended the annual awards banquet for the Friends of Oak Creek volunteers. The event was held at the Yakima Eagles on May 14. Dinner was provided at attendees’ expense. There were over 70 people in attendance including volunteers, WDFW staff members, and significant others. Several service awards were handed out to the following for years of service recognition:
20 years: Joe Buckley, Joyce Daugherty, and Jim Noel
15 years: Stuart McPherson, Stan Yeigh, and Andy Zeigler
10 years: Craig Baird, Steve Hargreaves, Roger Johnson, Larry Kastler, and Lynette Miller
5 Years: Jerrid Barber
Other
Colockum Stemilt Partnership Meeting: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray and Assistant Manager Hagan attended a recent Stemilt Partnership meeting. The meeting involved general updates from partners throughout Stemilt. Chelan County provided an update on previous thinning projects throughout the Stemilt area. In early summer, Colockum Wildlife Area staff members along with Statewide Forester Pfeifle will look at future thinning projects areas that WDFW and the county could partner on together. The Stemilt Partnership Meeting was a great opportunity for Gray to meet several partners and local neighbors at the meeting.
Colockum Wildlife Area Tour: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray and Assistant Manager Hagan showed Assistant Lands Division Manager Lowery two separate areas of the Colockum Wildlife Area. The Tarpiscan Fields were shown as an example of previous restoration projects that have been successful in the area. There are three fields on this site that staff members will begin fallowing spring 2025. Additional fields throughout the site were done over six years ago and have developed extremely well. The Stemilt area was shown as well. Discussion items included previous thinning projects, local partners of the area, how to improve managing recreational use throughout the area, green dot road management, and showing challenges tied to off road vehicle use around the Lilly Lake Access Site.
Springwood Celebration Event: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart assisted with the setup for the May 2 Springwood dedication ceremony.