Forrest Conservation Area Management proposal 200104101

FY07-09 proposal 200104101

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal title	Forrest Conservation Area Management
Proposal ID	200104101
Organization	Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
Short description	The Forrest Conservation Area consists of 4,232 acres and contains 8.5 miles of critical fish habitat in the Upper Mainstem and Middle Fork John Day River systems. Management prioritizes protection of fish, wildlife and their associated habitats.
Information transfer	Data and information collected on the Conservation Area helps supports several state and federal agencies with research studies and management of natural resources. Information from the project will be shared through reports to BPA annually, HEP reports, aquatic habitat survey reports, and monitoring and evaluation reports. Current programs using information collected from the project include ODFW for fish and wildlife management, USBR for instream flow assessment, GSWCD for project demonstrations, ODEQ for TMDL sampling, and other BPA mitigation programs.
Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Contacts

Contact	Organization	Email
Form submitter
Brent Smith	Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservatio	forrestranch@ortelco.net
All assigned contacts
Brent Smith	Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservatio	forrestranch@ortelco.net

Section 2. Locations

Province / subbasin: Columbia Plateau / John Day

Latitude	Longitude	Waterbody	Description
44*27'47	118*41'32	Upper John Day River	Mainstem parcel is located at John Day River mile 263 while the Middle Fork parcel is located at Middle Fork River mile 65.

Section 3. Focal species

primary: Steelhead Middle Columbia River ESU
secondary: Chinook Mid-Columbia River Spring ESU
secondary: Westslope Cutthroat
secondary: Bull Trout
secondary: All Wildlife
Additional: Mitigation species: Black-capped chickadee, Mallard, Mink, Western meadowlark, Yellow warbler, Mule deer, and California Quail.

Section 4. Past accomplishments

Year	Accomplishments
2005	Completed Draft Management Plan, fish redd and holding pool counts, instream complexity project planning, surveyed 5.7 miles of river reaches, enrolled 150 acres into CREP program, continued grazing program, planted 2,000 native cuttings, and O&M.
2004	Completed baseline assessments consisting of aquatic habitat inventory, Proper Functioning Condition assessment, and Grazing Evaluation. Continued Management Plan assembly, O&M, planted 4,000 native cuttings and 600 conifers, and grazing program.
2003	Conducted Habitat Evaluation Procedure and spring Chinook redd counts. Began Management Plan assembly and formed a public advisory group. Performed O&M, noxious weed control, planted 2,000 native cuttings, and implemented conservation grazing program.
2002	Acquired Forrest Ranch consisting of 4,232 acres of land, 25.22 cfs of water rights, and 12.17 miles of riparian habitat on the Upper Middle Fork and Upper Mainstem John Day Rivers. Began implementation of baseline monitoring and facility improvements.
2001	Leased Forrest Ranch to implement conservation practices and began landowner negotiations for acquisition. Subleased ranch to grazing and haying operator. Conducted pre-acquisition surveys, appraisals, assessments, and established resource monitoring.

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Funding source	Related ID	Related title	Relationship
PCSRF - CRITFC	[no entry]	2005-3-06 Dead Cow Creek Fish Passage and Habitat Improvement Project	This a new grant approved 10/20/05 for partial funding of a channel reconfiguration project on the Middle Fork parcel.
Other: FSA	CREP	CTWSRO Forrest MF Tract 1272	The CREP program is leasing 150.2 acres of riparian on the Forrest Middle Fork Parcel for restoration and enhancement projects.
Other: ODFW	[no entry]	McHaley Pond	ODFW stocks the Mainstem property’s McHaley pond with catchable size trout for public fishing. Stocking began in 2005 and is scheduled to occur annually with free fishing day event activities.
Other: Oregon Youth Conservation Corps	[no entry]	OYCC - Grant County	The OYCC provides a youth crew with a leader that work on restoration and maintence projects for 2 months during the summer at no cost to the Tribes.
Other: Bureau of Reclamation	[no entry]	Dead Cow Gulch Access and Habitat Improvement Project	The Bureau is providing technical expertise for modeling, survey and design of Dead Cow Gulch channel reconfiguration project located on the Middle Fork property.
Other: Bureau of Reclamation	[no entry]	Middle Fork and Upper John Day River Habitat Restoration Project on Forrest Conservation Area	The Bureau is providing technical expertise for modeling, survey and design of LWM placement and dike removal projects on the Mainstem and Middle Fork property of the Forrest Conservation Area. Conservation Area..
BPA	199801800	John Day Watershed Restoration	The program is managed by the CTWSRO and operates in office facilities at the Forrest Conservation Area. Program shares utilities, maintenance, and secretary salary costs along with providing technical support assisting with some monitoring and planting. The program has coordinated many restoration projects on the property.
BPA	200203300	John Day Recovery Monitoring	The program is managed by CTWSRO and located in Forrest Conservation Area office facilities. It shares cost of utilities, maintenance, and secretary salary. The program also conducts stream studies on the property.
BPA	200001500	Oxbow Ranch Management	The Oxbow Conservation Area is managed by CTWSRO focused on fish and wildlife habitat restoration. Managers work together on many projects and the Conservation Area shares management plan with Forrest Conservation Area.
BPA	199802200	Pine Creek/Wagner Management	The Conservation Area is managed by the CTWSRO. Management works together on some projects.
Other: The Nature Conservancy	[no entry]	Dunstan Homestead Preserve	The Nature Conservancy owns a 1,200-acre property about 9-miles below the Middle Fork property. Management works together on management activities, monitoring, restoration, and share equipment at times.
BPA	198402100	John Day Habitat Enhancement	Involved with riparian fence construction and maintenance.
BPA	199306600	Oregon Fish Screens Project	The project has cost shared a pump screen, maintains existing fish screens, and is coordinating future fish screen replacement. Management is also involved in Strawberry Ck. reconnection project partially located on Conservation Area.
BPA	199801600	Escapement/Productivity Spring	Conducts redd counts of spring Chinook spawning activities on Middle Fork and Mainstem of the property.

Section 6. Biological objectives

Biological objectives	Full description	Associated subbasin plan	Strategy
Enhance Riparian Habitat	The loss of riparian forests along the Mainstem and Middle Fork John Day Rivers of the Conservation Area has resulted in channel widening and extensive solar exposure. The restoration of gallery forests along the reaches will improve water quality, riparian/wetland function, and fish and wildlife habitat. Continue to maintain 151 acres of previously planted native trees and shrubs and conduct planting activities in riparian areas found lacking hardwood regeneration.	John Day	Riparian Habitat Improvements (Priority 4 Very High) through managed and excluded riparian grazing, vegetation management, floodplain restoration, and passive beaver management. Improvements located in Camp Creek and Strawberry Creek 5th field HUCs.
Increase instream fish habitat	Increase fish habitat and channel complexity in the Mainstem and Middle Fork Rivers on the Conservation Area. A Stream Habitat Inventory and Proper Functioning Condition Assessment were performed during 2004 and both identified historic modifications to the stream channels has reduced sinuosity and increased the width/depth ratio of nearly all stream reaches on the property. The fish habitat for rearing juvenile salmonids and adult spring Chinook is well below potential due to the loss of riparian gallery forest and large woody debris absence. There is a deficiency of deep pool habitat needed by spawning adults and rearing juveniles. This deficiency is a major limiting factor in most of the reaches assessed and key pieces of large wood are virtually absent with only 3.4 pools per mile > 1m depth along the Mainstem reach. The projects will provide critical habitat restoration for juvenile salmonids and adult spring Chinook by pool creation, increasing sinuosity, channel narrowing, and providing cover.	John Day	In-Stream Activities (Priority 4 Very High) Increase channel complexity and fish habitat through large woody debris placement, engineered instream log weirs, channel restoration, and dike removal habitat restoration projects.
Prevent salmonid entrainment	Increase Upper McHaley Diversion fish screen size and upgrade to current criteria. Ensure fish screens are maintained and operate properly.	John Day	Install Fish Screen (Priority 4 Very High) Install and maintain fish screens operated. Installation is located in Strawberry Creek 5th field HUC the highest priority of the Upper Mainstem and South Fork John Day River HUCs.
Protect Existing Habitat	Protecting existing critical fish and wildlife habitat currently occupied from degrading activities will ensure continued existence of current focal species populations.	John Day	Protect Existing Habitat (Priority Very High) Protect 4,232 acres of land and 12.17 miles of riparian habitat currently occupied by focal species on the upper Middle Fork and upper mainstem John Day Rivers and ensure habitat values are maintained.
Re-establish salmonids to disconnected tributaries	Remove artificial fish barriers in Placer Gulch and reconfigure current channel location to historic of Dead Cow Gulch, both are tributaries to the Middle Fork John Day River. Projects will provide up to 5 miles of juvenile salmonid escapement for thermal refuge from the river and improved passage for adult steelhead to spawning habitat. The reconfiguration project will add .25 mile channel length of tributary and restore salmonid access to .75 mile blocked in the early 1900’s.	John Day	Improve Fish Passage (Priority 4 - Very High) Implement culvert removal and channel reconfiguration restoration. Project locations are on the Middle Fork tract in Camp Creek 5th field HUC the highest priority of the 5 Middle Fork John Day River HUCs.
Restore stream base flows	8.5 cfs of water rights acquired with the Middle Fork tract will be leased instream for the benefit of aquatic species. 18.7 cfs of water rights were acquired with the Mainstem tract. A portion of these rights will be used early season to enhance riparian and meadow vegetation along with aquifer recharge. During critical low flow periods the rights will be put back instream to enhance base flows.	John Day	Flow restoration (Priority 4 – Very High) Flow restoration through instream water right leases and floodplain aquifer recharge. Flow restoration is located in Camp Creek and Strawberry Creek 5th field HUC the highest priority.
Restore Upland Native Communities	The upland area native habitat of the Mainstem property has been severely degraded due to noxious weed and Western Juniper invasion. The invasive species have displaced much of the native habitat essential to wildlife and altered the hydrology of the watershed possibly reducing stream flow and spring output. Efforts of Juniper and noxious weed control have begun along with native grass, and tree planting. Restoration efforts will involve continuing current juniper removal treatment, herbicide applications, and native reseeding/shrub-tree planting.	John Day	Upland Improvements (priority 4 very high mainstem and priority 3 high for Middle Fork) through planed appropriate livestock grazing and vegetation management consisting of juniper and noxious weed control.

Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)

Work element name	Work element title	Description	Start date	End date	Est budget
Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation	Obtain NEPA compliance	Obtain NEPA compliance for various resource restoration activities.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$17,648
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Conduct Controlled Burn	Conduct control burn	Conduct control burn portion of previous fall and leave lay juniper control treatment. Control burn approximately 350 acres within the Mainstem property uplands.	5/1/2007	7/30/2008	$65,236
Biological objectives Restore Upland Native Communities			Metrics
Increase Instream Habitat Complexity	Mainstem and Middle Fork instream habitat restoration	Install multiple engineered log weirs, dike removals, and large woody debris placements along Middle Fork and Mainstem John Day River on Conservation Area. BOR is providing technical services of modeling, surveying, engineering, and design for the projects.	7/1/2007	8/30/2008	$74,268
Biological objectives Increase instream fish habitat			Metrics * # of stream miles treated: 5 * # of structures installed: 5 miles length 20 weirs anticipated. * End lat of treated reach: 44.45942N * End long of treated reach: 118.69819W * Start lat of treated reach: 44.45571N * Start long of treated reach: 118.67946 * Start lat of treated reach: 44.59546N * Start long of treated reach: 118.52197W * End lat of treated reach: 44.62011N * End long of treated reach: 118.57149W
Plant Vegetation	Riparian Planting	Collection and planting of native hardwood shrubs and trees along inadequate riparian areas.	3/1/2007	6/30/2009	$14,955
Biological objectives Enhance Riparian Habitat			Metrics * # of riparian miles treated: 2
Remove vegetation	Vegetation Management	Project sponsor and subcontractors will perform noxious weed treatments and control burn portion of juniper removal treatment within the upland area of the Mainstem property. The control burn will treat 350 acres of previously feel juniper. During 07-09, annually treat 500 acres of medusahead, toadflax, and cheatgrass with herbicide. Reseed herbicide treatment areas with native bunch grass the following year.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$95,723
Biological objectives Restore Upland Native Communities			Metrics * # of acres treated: Also Biological Obective Protect Existing Habitat # of acres treated: 1,500 acres herbicide treated * # of acres treated: 350 acres control burn treated * # of acres treated: 1,000 reseeded
Investigate Trespass	Property patrol	Monitor for trespass livestock, and coordinate with owners for removal. Monitor for unauthorized use of property and illegal fish and wildlife poaching.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$5,581
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Maintain Vegetation	Property leases	Conduct grazing lease program though annual planned grazing, lessee coordination, and monitoring.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$17,052
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Operate and Maintain Habitat/Passage	Maintain facilities, sturctures, grounds, irrigation conveyance system, fences and etc.	Perfrom maintenance to office facility, stuctures, grounds, and other program operating systems.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$212,500
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Provide Public Access/Information	Provide public access information	Maintain interpretive signs for property. Ensure written permission required signs are posted along property boundaries. Provide controlled fishing, hunting, and other recreational opportunities to the public ensuring habitat, fish, and wildlife values are maintained. Maintain fishpond and access improvements for public fishing. Maintain web site for Conservation Area and other John Day Basin Office programs. Advertise recreational opportunities within local community and with tribes through brochures, paper, and radio. Give presentations to tribes, public, and other agencies on Conservation Area management and restoration activities.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$12,762
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Install Fish Passage Structure	Dead Cow Gulch channel reconfiguration and Placer Gulch culvert removal	Dead Cow Gulch channel reconfiguration and fish passage restoration. Placer Gulch culvert removal.	7/1/2007	8/1/2007	$9,707
Biological objectives Re-establish salmonids to disconnected tributaries			Metrics * # of miles of habitat accessed: .75 miles accessed and .25 new for Dead Cow Gulch * Does the structure remove or replace a fish passage barrier?: Removes fish passage barrier * Was barrier Full or Partial?: Full barrier * # of miles of habitat accessed: 4 miles abover Placer Gulch culvert. * Does the structure remove or replace a fish passage barrier?: Removal of culvert no replacement * Was barrier Full or Partial?: Partial barrier
Install Fish Screen	Replace McHaley fish screen	Replace irrigation fish screen on McHaley ditch located on Mainstem property.	12/1/2006	10/30/2007	$1,249
Biological objectives Prevent salmonid entrainment			Metrics * Does the screen meet NOAA/FSOC specs?: No * Flow rate at the screen diversion allowed by the water right: 7 cfs * Is the screen New or a Replacement?: Replacement
Coordination	Planning and Coordination	Conduct planning and coordination with other landowners and natural resource agencies for restoration/protection projects.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$3,824
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Manage and Administer Projects	Manage and Administer Projects	Administrative support includes fiscal tracking, contract compliance purchasing, payroll, and other similar administrative activities, invoice payments, contacts, indirect costs, and fringe benefits.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$181,367
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Manage and Administer Projects	Manage and Administer Projects / BPA Activities	(BPA Activities) Produce BIOP/metrics, statement of work, accural estimates, and other requests made from BPA.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$22,943
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Outreach and Education	Outreach and Education	Conduct demonstration tours of property and restoration projects for tribal, public, and agencies. Allow and promote education workshops to occur on Conservation Area. Participate in community activities such as resource booth at county fair.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$11,060
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics * # of general public reached: 25 * # of students reached: 25 * # of teachers reached: 3
Produce Annual Report	Annual Report	Produce annual SOW reports for performance period.	12/1/2007	12/30/2009	$5,736
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Produce Status Report	Quarterly Reports	Complete quarterly status reports	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$3,824
Biological objectives Protect Existing Habitat			Metrics
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data	Monitor property fish, wildlife,and habitat	Collect fish, wildlife, and haibtat trend data.	12/1/2006	11/30/2009	$40,392
Biological objectives Enhance Riparian Habitat			Metrics
Develop and Negotiate Water Right Transaction	Lease water rights instream	Lease approximately 8.5cfs of water rights on the Middle Fork property instream for aquatic benefit.	12/1/2006	11/30/2007	$2,500
Biological objectives Restore stream base flows			Metrics

Section 8. Budgets

Itemized estimated budget

Item	Note	FY07	FY08	FY09
Personnel	2.41 FTE Manger, Tech 2, Program Manager, Secretary	$76,543	$78,073	$79,635
Fringe Benefits	27%	$20,666	$21,080	$21,501
Supplies	Includes computer purchase 07	$18,650	$14,850	$14,850
Travel	1 vehicle rental, mileage, insurance, per diem	$8,500	$8,850	$9,225
Other	Utilities	$3,675	$3,929	$4,143
Other	Other fees, property insurance, advertising	$2,600	$2,600	$2,600
Capital Equipment	Backhoe replacement 07	$79,400	$0	$0
Other	Subcontracts Large Wood, Cultural, Herbicide/Seed, Control Burn	$59,108	$100,400	$18,500
Overhead	Overhead/Indirect	$49,641	$49,165	$50,143
Totals		$318,782	$278,947	$200,595

Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets

Total itemized budget:	$798,324
Total work element budget:	$798,327

Cost sharing

Funding source/org	Item or service provided	FY 07 est value ($)	FY 08 est value ($)	FY 09 est value ($)	Cash or in-kind?	Status
BOR	Technical Service; Modeling, Surveying, and Project Design. 6 miles of survey completed during FY06	$115,000	$0	$0	In-Kind	Confirmed
BPA	Partial funds for Dead Cow Gulch project. Proposed in #199801800 John Day Watershed Restoration	$30,000	$0	$0	Cash	Under Review
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund	Funding for project implementation.	$9,099	$0	$0	Cash	Confirmed
Totals		$154,099	$0	$0

Section 9. Project future

FY 2010 estimated budget: $193,840
FY 2011 estimated budget: $193,840

Comments: Following FY09 much of the proposed restoration projects will be complete. FY10 includes cost for 2nd HEP and FY 11 is primarily O & M.

Future O&M costs: Operations and Maintenance will continue near the FY11 amount. Future assessments, HEP, and monitoring are expexted for project evaluations and to monitor habitat trends.

Termination date: None
Comments: Through the MOA, BPA is committed to funding Conservation Area management for the life of the hydropower system.

Final deliverables: Conservation Area is to be managed for fish and wildlife in perpetuity.

Section 10. Narrative and other documents

Reviews and recommendations

FY07 budget	FY08 budget	FY09 budget	Total budget	Type	Category	Recommendation
NPCC FINAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Oct 23, 2006) [full Council recs]
$206,635	$206,635	$206,635	$619,905	Expense	ProvinceExpense	Fund
NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs]
$206,635	$206,635	$206,635	$0		ProvinceExpense

ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)

Recommendation: Fundable

NPCC comments: This is a well-written proposal with a clear history and clear objectives, methods, M&E, and demonstrated cooperation with other related projects. The Forrest Conservation Area was purchased by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (Tribes) in 2002 as a high priority project with BPA mitigation funds. The project has since received BPA annual funding for O&M as part of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Tribes and BPA. The Conservation Area is 4,232 acres and is split into two geographically separate parcels located along the Upper Middle Fork and Upper Mainstem John Day Rivers in the John Day Subbasin. Though currently well below its potential for fish and wildlife due to previous habitat degradation, the property contains critical habitat used by spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and a variety of wildlife. Spawning spring Chinook densities on the Middle Fork property are the highest in the basin and the property represents 4,083 Habitat Units (HU) of protection for 7 wildlife mitigation species for BPA. Benefits from this project to focal and non-focal species should persist over the long term. Previous ISRP reviews of this proposal were very positive and noted that it was an important high priority project. The current project proposal recounts biological results (gains) that have occurred since acquisition of the property. Technical and scientific background: The technical and scientific background is excellent. It describes in detail the subbasin context and the Forrest Conservation area within it. It includes a description of the property, assessments conducted, baseline conditions, limiting factors, desired future conditions, and restoration strategies to achieve these. It also contains information that probably should be included in other sections (ties to other projects, history, objectives, etc). The section on spring Chinook contains a statement that the fish are protected under MSFCMA, when the reference should be to ESA. Helpful photos are provided. A good description of habitat issues that need to be addressed by the activities proposed in this project is also provided. Rationale and significance to subbasin plans and regional programs: The proposal establishes good rationales and significance through linkages to the 2000 FCRPS BiOp and to the John Day Subbasin Plan (JD SBP). The conservation area is a key component of the JD SBP. Recovery strategies identified as highest priority in the SBP for are consistent with activities contained in the proposed project. Project actions are motivated by the limiting factors and their corresponding strategies in the JD SBP. The proposal also describes links to the 2002 Fish and Wildlife Program habitat strategies. The proposal also notes links to the Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi-Wa-Kish-Wit. Relationships to other projects: An extensive list of direct links to and complementarities with other projects is provided. These projects are managed by CTWS, ODFW, CTUIR, OYCC, BOR, Grant SWCD, ODEQ, public schools, USDA NRCS, etc. The proposal describes very strong links with description of the nature of the link. Project history is extensive and well documented, particularly for a project that is only 3+ years old. A short history of project development and funding is presented, followed by an extensive description of project activities by category such as fencing, planting, CREP, flow enhancements, irrigation improvements, fish screening, etc. The project clearly has implemented a substantial amount of restoration work. Good detail is provided as justification for the activities. A detailed description of monitoring of project activities is included. Objectives: Objectives relate to those specified in the JD SBP and to specific restoration goals for the Forrest Conservation Area. Objectives are stated in general form, but become more specific in the expression of work elements and quite specific and measurable in the metrics presented in the administrative section. Objectives are reasonable and comprehensive. Tasks (work elements) and methods: Several work elements are associated with each objective. Some of the work elements are presented in general, rather than specific terms ((e.g. remove vegetation) but do contain discussion that establish the intention, context and rationale in more detail. Other work elements (replace culverts) are specific and measurable. The objectives and work elements cover a lot of ground and consist of reasonable sounding activities, but lack discussion of their motivation contained in the Oxbow proposal. Each work element contains collection of data for monitoring and evaluation. Specific measurable quantities are contained in the work element metrics (admin and budgeting section). Monitoring and evaluation: A detailed description of monitoring activities is included in the section on project history. Work elements also contain components to "collect, generate, validate field and lab data" with a description of how these data will be used in evaluating success of the strategies. It would be useful to see the Forrest Area Management Plan to see how the monitoring is integrated to inform decision making on the area as a whole. Facilities, equipment, and personnel: Facilities and personnel are well situated in place with strong ties to related projects. A specific list of equipment and facilities, with functions and conditions noted, is provided. Information transfer: Good description of not only routine reporting to BPA but also specific details on information sharing and coordination with other projects and agencies. Indirectly addressed through listing of proposed reports.

ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)

Recommendation: Fundable