Managing Wildlife Populations

Sooty Grouse Population Monitoring: Biologist Tirhi completed the last sooty grouse survey for this year within the assigned survey routes for District 11. This survey, done June 13, is technically past the survey window (March-May) but the district was only able to get one survey completed on one route this season, so Tirhi decided to attempt one other. No grouse were seen or heard, lending support that the height of the calling season has now passed. This is a new survey approach and the time the district had available for sooty grouse was spent locating and setting up the routes (for the future) and getting equipment deployed. Tirhi spent time following the survey finalizing another route for next season. District 11 was encouraged to establish and survey:

• Three routes have been fully established.
• Two surveys were conducted to protocol.
• Three acoustic monitors were deployed.
• One route was shelved for tribe to conduct in 2024 since it’s on tribal land.
• One route was eliminated due to lack of access. It is behind a private gate.
• One route has been defined but needs listening stations added.
• One route is partially established but needs completion and listening stations.

Deer and Elk Collaring: Biologist Murphie helped the Makah Wildlife Program in their efforts to collar juvenile deer and elk. This effort will provide insight into fawn and calf survival in the study area. Murphie reports several being captured, and they are close to meeting project objectives for this session.

Western Pond Turtle: Biologist Murphie deployed two artificial basking structures at the western pond turtle recovery site in District 15. A PIT tag (passive integrated transponder) antenna array was received and will be fitted to a platform next week. We hope to identify which turtles released into the pond are still present.

Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly: Biologist Murphie conducted the last of this season’s survey effort during this reporting period. Overall, the counts were considerably lower than expected.

Bear Hair-Snare Project: Biologist Murphie along with carnivore section staff members set up 36 stations in Game Management Unit (GMU) 636 to collect hair samples from bears over the next few weeks. The first check was also completed and Biologist Murphie reports that hair samples were collected from 17 of the 36 stations. On camera visitors included a turkey vulture, deer, squirrel, bobcat, spotted skunk, and a few bears. More to come, as this project is conducted.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Management Planning: Biologist Tirhi worked on various management planning documents and participated in planning meetings including the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area Habitat Management Plan and the Game Management Plan update (elk section).

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Protection Island: Noxious Weed Coordinator Heimer, Prairie Specialist Cook, and Wildlife Area Manager Laushman visited Protection Island, part of the North Olympic Wildlife Area, to assess next steps for invasive species control on the island.

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Photo by WDFW

Union River: Noxious Weed Coordinator Heimer and Wildlife Area Manager Laushman met with members of the Pierce Conservation District at the South Puget Sound Unit in Lakewood to discuss potential riparian restoration work along Chambers Creek.

Bell Creek: Technician Morgan mowed annual grasses along the boundary of the Oak Restoration Project at the Bell Creek Unit in Sequim, of the North Olympic Wildlife Area. The mowing is in response to fire concerns related to upcoming community fireworks display in a neighboring park.

Union River: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman toured the Union River Wildlife Area Unit in Belfair to discuss upcoming potential estuary restoration work with biologists from the Habitat Program and partner organizations.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

General Wildlife Inquiries: Biologist Murphie responded to inquiries received by phone, email, or in person related to mystery scat, deer, bear, waterfowl hunting and elk hunting.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Sooty Grouse Population Monitoring: Biologist Tirhi spent some time in May establishing the district’s assigned sooty grouse survey routes. District 11 has four routes to establish and monitor for 2023 (each route having 15-30 listening stations) and three acoustic monitors to deploy. All District 11 routes for 2023 are on Weyerhaeuser property in Game Management Unit (GMU) 667. The routes take a considerable amount of time to establish since each must incorporate an assigned starting location. Forest roads must be investigated for accessibility, permanent listening stations must be established 0.05 miles apart from each other, acoustic monitors must be deployed in secure locations, and logistics of forested locations must be dealt with (snow, clearing downed trees, closed road, etc.). To date, District 11 has established three of the four routes and deployed two of three monitors with plans to conduct actual surveys on the routes the remainder of May and into June. 

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Photo by Audubon Field Guide

Sooty Grouse: Biologist Cent established a snow-free sooty grouse survey route and completed one survey, just before the end of the survey period.

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Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Photo by WDFW

Streaked Horned Lark: Biologists Tirhi and Butler completed collecting the first and second of three surveys of state and federally listed streaked horned lark at the Olympia Airport. The airport is one of the four remaining breeding locations for larks in the South Puget Sound. Tirhi reported 16 observations of individual birds (Butler's totals are not available at this time) which appear to be stable compared to the last count conducted in 2020. Butler and Tirhi added additional survey area for the first time this year such that all grasslands at the Olympia Airport were now included in the survey. These extended areas have traditionally not contained breeding larks and so were left out of previous surveys for expediency of meeting survey protocol timelines. Surveys should begin within half hour of sunrise and end by 11:00 a.m. or earlier on 80-degree days. The extended surveys added significant time to the survey which took the team almost nine hours to complete! This also took the survey outside of the protocol ending timelines; this contingency was approved by our Science Lead Pearson when necessary. Tirhi concluded that a third observer will be necessary to complete future surveys closer to established protocol.

Streaked Horned Lark: Biologists Cent and Novack completed initial surveys for streaked horned lark at various sites. Larks were plentiful at Midway Beach.

Snowy Plover: Biologists Cent and Novack with assistance from other WDFW and non-WDFW staff members completed surveys for western snowy plovers on Washington beaches in conjunction with the range wide surveys conducted in Oregon and California. Final numbers are pending but appeared to be low at Midway Beach and Leadbetter Point.

Band-Tailed Pigeon: Biologists Novack and Cent went to District 16 to establish a pair of trapping sites for band-tailed pigeons. The two landowners kept the traps open and baited for a number of days until Biologists Novack, McMillan, Hamer and Section Manager Spragens were able to conduct captures. Nine birds were caught at Clallam Bay and the team attached three transmitters. An additional three transmitters will be attached at a later date.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Union River: Noxious Weed Coordinator Heimer and Wildlife Area Manager Laushman toured the Theler Wetlands in Belfair with weed specialists from the Mason County Noxious Weed Board to plan for future invasive species treatment in the area.

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Photo by WDFW

South Puget Sound Volunteer Event: The Clover Park Rotary Club coordinated their biannual community workday at the South Puget Sound Unit. Volunteers helped weed and mulch the native garden, add boundary blocks, and pulled Scotch broom.

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Photo by WDFW

Discovery Bay Visit: Forest Specialist Tveten and Wildlife Area Manager Laushman met with staff members from the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) to discuss forest health conditions in the Discovery Bay Unit. NOSC has helped to plant native riparian habitat on the unit along Snow and Salmon creeks for the last two decades, and now are considering how best to treat the growing stands. Tveten advised the group on thinning methods and tree health.

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Scotch Broom Bio-Control Release: In early May, the Olympic Wildlife Area staff members employed a new approach in controlling Scotch broom, the release of 600 Bruchidius villosus, also known as the Scotch broom bruchid. The bruchid, a type of bean weevil, was first approved by USDA and released in the Pacific Northwest in 1998 to limit seed production of Scotch broom. The female bruchid will typically lay about ten eggs on the seed pod of the plant. The larva then hatches from the egg at the point it is attached to the pod and burrows into the pod, where it develops and feeds on the seeds. Once a population is established, usually taking about three years, seed pod attack rates are expected to be highly variable (10-90%) as is seed destruction (20-80%). Like all bio-controls this insect alone will not eradicate Scotch broom, but in this case, it will hopefully become a contributing factor in preventing it from spreading.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Lands 20/20 Proposals: Biologist Novack presented a number of proposals to Lands Division and other regional staff members for potential inclusion in the upcoming Lands 20/20 cycle.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Onboarding: Biologist Tirhi completed required checklist for onboarding Seasonal Technician Sharpe, including having her complete the required training and policy reviews. District 11 is excited to have Sharpe onboard to assist with western pond turtle monitoring, Oregon spotted frog water hydrology monitoring, and other ad hoc district tasks. 

Equipment Inventory: Biologists Novack and Cent completed their equipment inventory for the year.

Other

South Puget Sound: The Ecosystem Services Division from the Habitat Program conducted a field visit and meeting at the South Puget Sound Unit in Lakewood. Wildlife Area Manager Laushman and Biologist Butler presented their work in the area to the group and walked the unit together.

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Photo by WDFW

 

Managing Wildlife Populations

Oregon Spotted Frog: Biologist Tirhi completed collecting and entering data for one of three spotted frog breeding sites where habitat restoration is ongoing. Assistant District Biologist Butler collected on the other two. Only those known sites having ongoing habitat restoration were counted in 2023. The balance of this year’s frog time was spent searching for new locations where spotted frogs may be breeding. Water levels were low across all habitats in District 11 this season, which may have affected the number of egg masses that were laid at several sites.

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Sooty Grouse Population Monitoring: Biologists Butler and Tirhi spent a day scouting and establishing their assigned sooty grouse survey routes. District 11 has five routes to establish and monitor for 2023, all of which are on Weyerhaeuser property in GMU 667. Tirhi is working with Weyerhaeuser to complete the necessary permits. Meanwhile, Tirhi spent one day, Butler spent one day, and the two together spent a third day beginning to establish the first four routes beginning at the assigned start point. One difficulty they experienced was the late snow conditions across the Cascades Range. The team brought the district’s tracked all-terrain vehicle (ATV) up one day and used it to successfully get above the snowline and establish one full route. Each route has 15 to 30 listening stations, spread one mile apart.

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Photo by WDFW

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Elk Monitoring: Biologists Butler and Tirhi along with Nisqually Tribe’s Wildlife Program Manager Borrego completed a 4-hour survey of GMU 654 and part of GMU 653 in the North Rainier Elk Herd. GMU 654 has not been surveyed by air in over 30 years and while it was suspected of having fewer elk than surrounding GMUs, the reality was unknown. GMU 653 is known to support the highest number of elk in the herd. The flight team successfully surveyed the entire planned survey area with the available funds. Only 68 elk were observed during the flight, with the majority of those located in the portion of 653 that was flown. This confirms the suspicion that GMU 654 supports fewer elk compared to surrounding GMUs, regardless of the numbers of animals harvested in the fall. These results will allow Biologist Tirhi to better evaluate hunting season levels, the population target in the herd management plan, and provide a valuable missing piece of information in analyzing the herd population trends in GMU 654. WDFW greatly appreciated the United States Forest Services’ Mt. Baker and Snoqualmie national forests who contributed $2000 towards this survey effort.

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Photo by WDFW

Streaked Horned Lark: Biologist Tirhi represented WDFW at the annual Larks and Airports Working Group meeting hosted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at the Portland Airport. The meeting included presentations and discussions from various airports in Oregon and Washington that either contain breeding larks or have the potential habitat to support and attract breeding larks. Tirhi presented on the finalization of a Best Management Practices (BMP) document that Tirhi spearheaded with the working group beginning in 2018. The BMPs contain management recommendations addressing all aspects of airport maintenance and development while minimizing impacts to breeding larks.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Maintenance and Access Projects: The access team performed a wide variety of maintenance tasks with extra emphasis placed on hazardous tree removal, access area driveways, and parking conditions. Gravel and cold patch asphalt were distributed at several sites across Mason, Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, and Jefferson counties. The access team has also been preparing seasonal lakes for the trout opener on April 22.

Pierce County, Horseshoe Lake: The paved entrance was severely damaged from rainfall nearly three yards of asphalt was needed to bring the Horseshoe Lake approach back into shape.

                

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Photo by WDFW

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Pierce County, Jackson Lake: The access team fell two hazardous trees at Jackson Lake, one fir that was heavily leaning over the parking area and a large dead madrone that was a potential hazard over the boat ramp area. Gravel was also placed in washed out areas of the gravel lot.  Firewood from the trees was given to the Kitsap Sportsmans Club. Their clubhouse is also located on Jackson Lake.

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Photo by WDFW

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Kitsap County, Buck Lake: The access team repaired the roadway with gravel, cold patch asphalt, and brushed out the shoulders of the access road.

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Photo by WDFW

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Jefferson County, Triton Cove: Asphalt repairs were made on the entrance and exit approaches at Triton Cove and Pleasant Harbor’s entrance road and parking area.

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Conserving Natural Landscapes

Marrowstone Unit: Technicians Havens and Anderson from the Fish Program assisted Wildlife Area Manager Laushman in installing new signage on Rat Island, part of the North Olympic Wildlife Area, to help discourage summer disturbance of nesting terns and pupping harbor seals.

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Bell Creek Unit: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman attended a volunteer event at the Bell Creek Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area where volunteers removed protective caging from a large-scale Garry oak restoration project.

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South Puget Sound Unit: Technician Morgan mowed about 12 acres of scotch broom at the South Puget Sound Unit in Lakewood, clearing trails and fields that were crowded in by older plants.

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Photo by WDFW

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Elk Forage Field Maintenance: With the weather becoming more favorable every week, the Olympic Wildlife Area staff members began the annual task of removing broken limbs and branches from the elk forage fields. Using primarily a tractor and chainsaw, Assistant Manager Gallegos and Technician Martinez spent the past several weeks clearing fields in the Wynoochee Mitigation Sites and Olympic Units. Removing the broken limbs and branches is just the first step in the annual maintenance of these fields and allows for more efficient operations the rest of the year, including their cultivation, mowing, and fertilizing. Several of the fields had an abnormally high amount of material, as this task was kept to a minimum last year due to vacant staff positions.

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Photo by WDFW

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Providing Education and Outreach

Rat Island Volunteer Training: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman coordinated a training for volunteers from the Friends of Fort Flagler, who will serve as docents in the summer months to help educate visitors about nesting Caspian terns and harbor seal haul-outs on the Marrowstone Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area. Presentations were given by Research Biologist Pearson, Watchable Wildlife Coordinator Hansen, and Volunteer Coordinator Tilton.

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General Wildlife Inquiries: Biologist Murphie responded to inquiries received by phone, email, or in person related to:

• Missing birds.
• Mountain quail.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

2023-2024 Work Planning: Biologists Tirhi and Butler participated in the Region 6 Wildlife Program/HQ planning meeting. This meeting is held annually to decide what tasks regional district biologists will be doing, how much time will be allocated to each task, in which months, and which funding source will be used. This is done for both game and diversity species work.

Biologist Murphie completed several tasks related to routine operations:

• Vehicle maintenance and upgrades completed this period.
• Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly survey training and prep.
• Elk plan meeting and prep.
• Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) survey data error checks.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Martin: Biologist Tirhi, Volunteer Sheridan and Pt. Defiance partners put martin boxes up at Chambers Bay. Volunteer Sheridan will monitor the boxes annually.

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Photo by WDFW

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Elk Surveys: Biologist Murphie recently participated in composition surveys for elk in the Clearwater Game Management Unit (GMU) 615 along with Biologist Ament and Quinault Tribal Wildlife Program Lead Phillips. Digital images were taken during the survey of encountered elk groups.  From these images, biologists can get an accurate tally of elk and determine the number of bulls, cows, and calves in each group. A preliminary tally from this survey was 323 elk with some known or marked groups located in cover and not counted.

Western Pond Turtle: Biologist Murphie conducted site maintenance at the western pond turtle recovery site in District 15. Additionally, he built and deployed a basking platform. Later this summer, the platform will be fitted with a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antenna array from which we hope to identify which turtles we released into the pond are still there. Biologist Murphie will build and deploy at least two more platforms in May.

Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly: Biologist Murphie has been preparing for this season's butterfly survey work in District 16. He conducted the first surveys of the season on April 27 and 28, when weather conditions were ideal. However, he reports that no Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies were seen.  More to come, as these surveys will be conducted over the next few weeks.

Sooty Grouse: Biologist Murphie reports that persistent snow along several higher elevation roads in the district continue to delay work on the sooty grouse survey effort. Biologist Murphy reports hearing/seeing male sooty grouse courtship displays/calling this period on April 24 and 26. Murphy deployed one audio recording device, as part of the effort to better document the timing and extent of this behavior. 

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Lands 20/20: Biologist Novack and Cent worked on developing proposals for the upcoming Lands 20/20 process.

Providing Education and Outreach

Snowy Plover: Public Service announcements focused on Snowy Plover protection were broadcast over the radio during Earth Day weekend when recreationists were visiting the beaches to harvest razor clams. Shellfish staff members surveyed diggers and found that 11-12% of recreationists within the broadcast area heard the radio ads before going out to dig.

General Wildlife Inquiries: Biologist Murphie responded to inquiries received by phone, email, or in person. Including:

• Deer with hair loss 
• River otter 
• Elk hunting 
• Western pond turtle 
• Turkey hunting 

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Aircraft Safety Training Course: As an instructor for this course, Biologist Murphie did some planning around the next course to be held in Port Townsend in May.

Other

Other planning/prep work: Biologist Murphie also spent time planning upcoming bat and bear work.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Elk Surveys: Biologist Murphie and biologists from the Quileute Tribe conducted an elk composition survey of the Dickey, Game Management Unit (GMU) 602, and Sol Duc, GMU 607 this period. Final tallies will be compiled from digital images taken during the flight.

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Forest Grouse Wing Bee: Biologist Murphie participated in the annual forest grouse wing bee. Here biologists sort through samples of grouse wings and tails deposited by hunters at several collection sites in western Washington. Although a final accounting of what was collected is not available yet, Murphie does report lower than expected sample submission this year in District 15.

Elk Composition Surveys: Biologist Murphie, Biologist Ament, and Quinault and Quileute tribe biologists conducted elk composition surveys of GMUs 602, 607, 612, and 615.

Elk Collaring: Biologist Murphie assisted the Skokomish Tribal Wildlife Program in collaring three adult cows in GMUs 636 and 651. These are part of long-term monitoring efforts of these units.

Game Management Plan: Biologist Murphie reviewed draft versions of bear, cougar, and waterfowl sections in the next Game Management Plan.

Western Pond Turtles: Biologist Murphie conducted routine site maintenance at a western pond turtle recovery site in District 15.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Pierce County: The access team continues to whittle away at undesirable vegetation at Lake Kapowsin and other Pierce County sites in preparation for the upcoming fishing season. These efforts are making a considerable difference. Crew members are committed to improving these sites and developing future maintenance plans for users and the local community.

Thurston County: The access team repaired fences at a couple locations. Some fences were damaged by weather events, by vehicles, or from normal wear and tear.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Big Beef Creek: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman and Technician Morgan cleared the Lost Highway access road and trail at the Big Beef Creek Unit of the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area, mowing thick scotch broom and brushing out the trail to Morgan Marsh.

Chimacum Creek: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman and the Hood Canal Coordinating Council attended a site visit to sections of Chimacum Creek adjacent to the North Olympic Wildlife Area’s current Chimacum Unit to discuss potential future WDFW acquisitions.

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Dungeness signage: Biologist Ament helped repair and replace boundary signage at the Three Crabs Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area.

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Photo by WDFW

South Puget Sound: Technician Morgan has continued to open up the oak prairie habitat at the South Puget Sound Unit in Lakewood by mowing scotch broom throughout the unit.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

South Puget Sound: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman met with the coordinator of the local Rotary Club and a program coordinator for Northwest Youth Corps to tour the South Puget Sound Unit in Lakewood and discuss upcoming opportunities for summer youth crews at the area. The next community workday at the South Puget Sound Unit is May 20, at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome to join.

General Wildlife Inquiries: Biologist Murphie responded to inquiries received by phone, email, or in person related to:

• A weasel.
• Mysterious feathers.
• Deer and elk hunting.
• River otter concerns and conflict.

Discovery Bay: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman helped with a planting event for Chimacum Middle School students coordinated by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition. Students prepared planting designs and planted around 200 native shrubs and trees to help restore the riparian area between Snow and Salmon creeks at the Discovery Bay Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area.

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Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Work-planning and Other Preperation: Biologist Murphie began planning and coordinating for surveys and other work to be done later this spring or summer. This work will include new projects for bear and grouse in District 15, as well as coordinating elk surveys and western pond turtle work.

Murphie participated in fiscal year 2024 to 2025 work planning session.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Dusky Canada Goose: Biologists Novack and Cent completed another round of dusky goose surveys. Overall goose numbers in Grays Harbor County were low. A yellow collared cackler goose was seen off Parpala Road in Pacific County along with a healthy cohort of red-collared dusky Canada geese.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Maintenance and Access Projects: The access team has tackled a variety of projects beyond the normal maintenance including cleaning illegal dumps, fence repair, sign replacement, graffiti removal and disposal of abandoned vessels.

Pierce County, Bay Lake: Team Members Friemund and Walker removed the abandoned boat from the Bay Lake access. 

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Photo by WDFW

Pierce County, Kapowsin Lake: Access staff members replaced signs, repaired fencing and continue ongoing efforts for large amounts of vegetation removal.

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Kitsap County, Big Beef Creek: Big Beef Creek Team Member Walker assisted Wildlife Area Manager Laushman by removing a fallen tree blocking the access gate.

Grays Harbor County, Morely: Several illegal dumps were cleaned and disposed of.

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Grays Harbor County, Porter: The interior of the restroom at the Porter ramp was completely repainted due to graffiti, the before pictures were not included due to content. The numerous obscene graphics were covered up very quickly after being discovered.

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

North American Wetlands Conservation Act: Biologist Novack continues coordination and collaboration with Ducks Unlimited and various WDFW staff members on identifying restoration and acquisition projects for a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant proposal.

Native Plantings: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman assisted with post-restoration plantings on McNeil Island with biologists from Department of Natural Resources, a Washington Conservation Corp crew and a Nisqually planting crew.

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Tarboo Visit: Wildlife Area Manager Manager Laushman and Forest Health Specialist Tveten visited the Tarboo Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area to discuss plans to improve the forest health of densely growing stands.

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Providing Education and Outreach

Calls From Birdwatchers: Biologist Novack answered various customer service calls. What appears to be a common crane was seen associating with a small group of sandhill cranes near Elma. Apparently, the birdwatching networks are spreading the word for birders to check off an unusual visitor from their lists.

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School Visit: Biologist Murphie gave a presentation about counting ducks and data at a local school.

Public Inquiries: Biologist Murphie answered public inquiries about deer and deer hunting, osprey, eagles, big game hunting, and ducks.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Snow Creek Resort: Access crew worked with Capital Asset Management Program on preparations for the upcoming work at Snow Creek Resort.

Grant Applications: Access Manager Reeves presented three Recreation and Conservation Office grant application presentations.

Public Contact: Access Manager Reeves met with several property owners that neighbor water access sites.

Aircraft Classes: Biologist Murphie held two aircraft related classes.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program Survey: Each year Biologists Evenson, Hamer, or Murphie conducts a survey of wintering waterfowl, marine birds, and marine mammals throughout the inland marine waters of Washington. Personnel fly more than 4,000 miles in December and January, and sometimes into February. Observers tally what they see, within a 50-meter strip on both sides of the aircraft, as they fly along 200 feet above the water at 85 knots (about 100mph). This survey has been completed for the season, data was transcribed, and submitted for analysis.

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Photo by WDFW

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Providing Recreation Opportunities

Water Access Work: The Water Access team removed downed trees, cleaned storm damage, repaired fencing, performed preventative maintenance, and managed lots of vegetation at several access areas around the region.

Jefferson County, Tarboo Lake: As a result of attempted wood theft, two conifer trees were felled and left across the access site. In the process of wood poaching, the unknown party felled the trees, blocking their vehicle behind the trees. The vehicle was also stolen. They attempted to escape by cutting a section of fence for access but could not manage to get the truck out. The responsible parties left the trees, truck, and damaged fence. WDFW Enforcement assisted the vehicle owner with recovering the truck. Access staff members cut up trees, chipped the limbs, and repaired the fence in two places.

Thurston County, Hicks Lake: The access crew repaired nearly 75 feet of chain link fence that was damaged by fallen trees during a storm. This project was no small undertaking. Much of the damaged fence needed to be removed and posts straightened or replaced, including 60 plus feet of top rail. This also required a lot of groundwork to fit, stretch, and hang the chain-link at the appropriate height.

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Photo by WDFW

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Mason County, Mission Lake: Access team with help from Washington Conservation Corps staff members and a local volunteer brushed out two long property boundaries and chipped all the debris at Mission Lake. In addition, they serviced the monofilament recycling bins in Mason County water access areas.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

North Olympic Wildlife Area: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman and Technician Morgan visited with the Clallam County Weed Board at units near Sequim to discuss noxious weed control in the area.

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South Puget Sound Wildlife Area: Technician Morgan continued to chip away at populations of invasive blackberries around the Western Turtle Pond habitat and at scotch broom throughout the South Puget Sound Unit in Lakewood.

Providing Education and Outreach

General Wildlife Inquiries: Biologist Murphie responded to inquiries received by phone, email, or in person related to a deer, three osprey, and a sportsmen’s show.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Aircraft Safety Instructor Prep: We have two courses coming up in February. Aircraft Safety Instructor Murphie has been spending time on preparing the presentation for this course.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Aquatic Species Restoration Plan Applications: Biologist Tirhi is working through answering the required metrics and paperwork associated with three separate Oregon spotted frog Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP) grants. Cultural review requirements are included for each of these three sites. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Scoping Lake Koeneman: The Region 6 Water Access Team, Wildlife Area Manager Laushman, and Enforcement Officer Murray hiked to the Lake Koeneman Unit of the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area to check on trail conditions and improve future access to the lake.

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Vandalism and Dump Site Clean-up: Access staff members, Enforcement, and Wildlife Area Manager Laushman all participated in the removal of an abandoned motorhome that was burned before it could be towed away. Wildlife area personnel repaired several other sites throughout the region that suffered vandalism and cleaned numerous dump sites.

Kitsap County, Point No Point: Access team and WCC removed large amounts of blackberry bushes from the fence lines and repaired the restroom from vandalism.

Access Clean-up Projects: Personnel worked on a variety of projects involving downed trees and storm damage.

Clallam County, Bogacheil Rearing Ponds: WDFW personnel cut and moved the majority of several fallen trees that blocked access at the Bogacheil Rearing Ponds. There is still much work to be finished but access for hatchery personnel and public parking has been restored.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Oregon Spotted Frog Habitat Enhancement: Biologists Tirhi and Butler, along with Volunteer Terry rebuilt plot markers for hydrological monitoring work at the Salmon Creek spotted frog breeding site. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Rotary Club: Biologist Tirhj gave a presentation to the Rotary Club of Lakewood in appreciation of the outstanding volunteer services they have been providing to maintain the entrance of the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area. Tirhi gave an overview of Washington’s wildlife, the role of WDFW, the agency’s priority work, and duties of district biologists. The presentation was very well received.   

Other

Program School: Biologists Tirhi and Butler attended the Wildlife Program School which was an excellent opportunity for staff members to reflect on past work, plan future work, learn new skills. They gained insight into the various programs and projects underway and built connections with other wildlife biologists in the agency. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Sooty Grouse Surveys: Biologists Tirhi and Butler participated in a planning meeting hosted by Headquarter Section Manager Garrison to conduct sooty grouse surveys across western Washington beginning in 2023.

Access Team Activities in Pierce County: The access team continues vegetation management at Pierce County sites. Mowing, brush cutting, tree trimming, and chipping was the focus at these sites. Wildlife Conservation Corps personnel serviced monofilament recycling bins and assisted with painting the restroom and kiosk at Kapowsin Lake.

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Access Team Activities in Grays Harbor: After much work by Enforcement Officers Dean and Mcomber, Access Team loaded and disposed of an abandoned boat and van left at access areas. Ecology blocks were used to secure the entrance at the South Montesano ramp, which is temporarily closed for use. A reopening date will be determined after the threat of seasonal flooding concerns diminish later in the year.

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Managing Wildlife Populations

Dusky Canada Goose and Snowy Plover: Biologists Novack and completed another round of dusky goose surveys. Biologist Cent along with Science Division Scientist Pearson conducted the winter plover survey at various beaches within the district. Midway beach had a good presence of birds.

Avian Flu: Unfortunately, while surveying for plovers, personnel came across a sick sanderling which was captured and submitted to the animal rehabilitation facility. Samples from this bird confirmed infection by high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Oregon Spotted Frog Annual Partnership Meeting: Biologist Tirhi represented District 11 at the annual meeting of the Oregon Spotted Frog Working Group, comprised of federal, state, county, city, provincial, and volunteer groups working on the recovery of state and federally listed spotted frogs. Tirhi presented survey results, trends, and habitat restoration work conducted by her and Biologist Butler at several drainages occupied by spotted frogs in Thurston County. The working group annual meeting is an excellent opportunity to collaborate on this very important recovery work.

Oregon Spotted Frog Data Collection Meeting: Biologists Tirhi and Butler worked with Headquarter Database Manager Krock to address outstanding data questions regarding past spotted frog surveys to start with a clean database for the beginning of the 2023 frog season in March. Tirhi also met separately with headquarter staff members Krock and Simper and personnel from the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to coordinate collaborative spotted frog data collection and sharing beginning in 2023.

Wolf Monitoring: Biologist Tirhi and Butler spent half a day maintaining and prepping field machinery for 2023 wolf surveys and one full day conducting snow tracking and camera deployment for wolves in the White River drainage. No wolf packs have been confirmed in District 11, but various credible reports continue to be reported by staff members and public.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Protection Island: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman visited the Protection Island Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area with restoration specialist and technician Cook and Morgan to re-visit areas treated in November.

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Photo by WDFW

South Puget Sound: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman and Natural Resource Technician Morgan tackled large infestations of Himalayan blackberries around the Western Pond Turtle habitat at the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area unit. Removal of the blackberry opened an orchard area from when the unit was a homestead and will help reduce the spread of blackberries around the ponds.

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Photo by WDFW

North American Wetlands Conservation Act: Biologist Novack continues coordination and collaboration with Ducks Unlimited on identifying restoration and acquisition projects for a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant proposal.

Chehalis Unit: Biologist Novack met with a landowner adjacent to our existing Chehalis Unit who is now agreeable to acquisition by WDFW. The parcel is already within an area approved through Lands 2020. Funding is available through Duck Stamp.

Pacific County: Biologist Novack met with USFWS and various land trusts and non-profit groups working in Pacific County. Many land acquisitions for conservation purposes are in the works for this year.

Oregon Spotted Frog Habitat Protection: Biologists Tirhi and Real Estate Specialist Buck met with two landowners on whose property Oregon spotted frogs have bred for many years and for which Biologist Tirhi has received funds to purchase a Conservation Easement. The objective of the meeting was to answer any landowner questions and move the acquisition project forward to the next step of appraisal.

Centralia Mine Acquisition Technical Team: Biologist Tirhi spent time receiving and inputting WDFW Centralia Mine Acquisition Technical Team member edits into the first update to the grassland management sections of the mining permit intended to allow WDFW and Centralia Mine to move forward on the possible conversion of the mine to an eventual WDFW wildlife area.

Violet Prairie Unit of the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area Management Plan: Biologist Tirhi drafted her assigned species overview sections for the new Violet Prairie Management Plan being drafted by the Wildlife Program.