FY07-09 proposal 200723200
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Section 1. Administrative
| Proposal title | Okanogan-Similkameen Habitat Protection Project - Fish and wildlife habitat protection through fee simple and conservation easement purchases. |
| Proposal ID | 200723200 |
| Organization | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) |
| Short description | Acquire high quality shrub-steppe, dry forest, and riparian habitats, and help secure a critical international wildlife corridor in the Okanogan-Similkameen Watershed. Support Okanogan Subbasin Plan, WDFW mission and other regional planning efforts. |
| Information transfer | Property protected will become part of an exisiting WDFW Wildlife Area (Scotch Creek). Such lands are detailed in agency produced maps, brochures, web sites, and GIS products. Management of the acquired lands will be detailed in the Wildlife Area Management Plan. |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator | |
Contacts
| Contact | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Form submitter | ||
| Scott Fitkin | Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife | fitkishf@dfw.wa.gov |
| All assigned contacts | ||
| Scott Fitkin | Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife | fitkishf@dfw.wa.gov |
| Matt Monda | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | mondamjm@dfw.wa.gov |
Section 2. Locations
Province / subbasin: Columbia Cascade / Okanogan
| Latitude | Longitude | Waterbody | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. portion of the Okanogan-Similkameen Watershed |
Section 3. Focal species
primary: All Wildlifesecondary: Cutthroat Trout
secondary: Freshwater Mussels
secondary: Kokanee
secondary: Rainbow Trout
secondary: All Wildlife
Additional: State, Federal, or Canadian listed species including: bald eagle, western gray squirrel, badger, pallid bat, burrowing owl, horned lark, sage thrasher, western screech owl, white-headed woodpecker, yellow-breasted chat, night snake, western rattlesnake, great basin gopher snake, great basin spadefoot toad, tiger salamander, Behr's hairstreak, Mormon metalmark, and others
Section 4. Past accomplishments
| Year | Accomplishments |
|---|
Section 5. Relationships to other projects
| Funding source | Related ID | Related title | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other: USFWS - Federal Aid | U-1-2 | Okanogan-Similkameen Conservation Corridor Program (OSCCP) | This proposal would compliment the previous program work by continuing with habitat protection and ecologically sound stewardship of public lands. |
| BPA | 199609400 | WDFW Habitat Acquisition | Expand and compliment the work of this project and potentially link prior purchases to other public ownership |
| BPA | 199609401 | Scotch Creek Wildlife Area | Add critical habitat to the existing wildlife area and help link the wildlife area to nearby public ownership |
| [Funding Source left blank] | [no entry] | South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP) | This project would be coordinated with and compliment a similar Canadian Conservation effort occurring in the Canadian portion of the Okanogan Subbasin |
Section 6. Biological objectives
| Biological objectives | Full description | Associated subbasin plan | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation | Secure key parcels that 1) link existing protected lands in public and private ownership (conservation easements), 2) maintain or link large blocks of focal habitats, 3) prevent fragmentation and maintain habitat function and effectiveness | Okanogan | Emphasize conservation of large blocks and connectivity of functional, high quality focal habitat. |
| Identify Key Blocks of Focal Habitats | Use available maps, planning documents, GIS products, wildlife data bases, and local knowledge to identify and prioritize critical blocks of shrub-steppe habitat, riparian habitat, ponderosa pine forest habitat, and habitat linkages on private land. | Okanogan | Identify and distinguish ecologically functioning and non-functioning focal habitats, corridors, and linkages. |
| Manage for Proper Habitat Function | Maximize habitat function by eliminating or preventing habitat degradation in the short-term through fencing, weed control, etc. Integrate purchased properties into Wildlife Management plans to long-term management activities | Okanogan | Enter into cooperative projects and management agreements with federal, state, tribal, local government, and private landowners to restore and conserve habitat function. |
| Monitor Focal Species | Monitor progress towards meeting Okanogan Subbasin Plan Goals and objectives for focal species and habitats by monitoring presence and abundance of avian focal species and other appropriate habitat obligates. | Okanogan | Select survey protocol and determine current distribution and population status of each focal species. |
| Protect Focal Habitats | Protect up to 2000 acres of high quality, focal (shrub-steppe, riparian, ponderosa pine) habitats as identified in the Okanogan subbasin plan through fee simple acquisitions and/or Conservation Easement purchases. | Okanogan | Use easements, leases, cooperative agreements, and acquisitions to achieve permanent protection of habitat (long-term protection strategies are preferred over short term). |
Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)
| Work element name | Work element title | Description | Start date | End date | Est budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop RM&E Methods and Designs | Develop Monitoring protocol for avian focal wildlife species | Select survey protocol and establish long-term stations/transects for focal and other obligate avian species presence and abundance on new purchases. Conduct initial baseline survey and test protocol design. | 4/1/2008 | 6/30/2010 | $5,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Manage for Proper Habitat Function Monitor Focal Species Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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| Conduct Pre-Acquisition Activities | Identify the highest priority areas for land acquisition/conservation easements. | Use planning documents, GIS products, wildlife data bases, and local knowledge to identify the portions of the project area where acquisitions will contribute the most to the project objectives of protecting riparian, shrub-steppe, and ponderosa pine habitats, while simultaneously supporting habitat linkage and the maintenance of a north-south ecological corridor within the watershed. Within the priority areas, use similar resources plus site visits of target areas and adjacent public ownership to identify the most strategic and ecologically valuable individual parcels with willing sellers. | 10/1/2007 | 6/30/2010 | $20,000 |
|
Biological objectives Identify Key Blocks of Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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| Land Purchase | Purchase Fee Title or Conservation Easement on Target Parcels | Once target parcels with willing sellers have been identified, WDFW real estate staff will shepard the property through the acquisition process. This includes generating letters of interest, preparing checklists, receiving review and input from district and regional staff, negotiating conservation easement elements, appraising property, making offers, securing commission approval, and closing transactions. Purchased properties will be incorporated into existing WDFW wildlife areas and will be managed in accordance with the mandate of the agency and the objectives of this proposal. | 10/1/2007 | 9/30/2010 | $2,180,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics * # of acres of new purchase/easement: protect up to 2000 acres thru fee or CE |
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| Install Fence | Replace or Install Fence on New Purchases | Fence new acquisitions to protect habitat from trespass livestock, unauthorized vehicle use or other habitat degradation threats. | 1/1/2008 | 9/30/2010 | $100,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Manage for Proper Habitat Function Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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| Remove vegetation | Control Noxious Weeds | Aggressively control any noxious weeds present on new purchases | 3/1/2008 | 9/30/2010 | $20,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Manage for Proper Habitat Function Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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| Produce Plan | Integrate new purchases into the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area Plan | Evaluate new purchases to identify data needs, management practices or habitat enhancements and integrate the properties into the existing Wildlife Area Plan to maximize the contribution to WDFW's mission and the biological objectives listed above. Integrate new purchases into Wildlife area management plans. | 1/1/2008 | 9/30/2010 | $20,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Manage for Proper Habitat Function Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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| Operate and Maintain Habitat/Passage | Short-term property management | Provide the O&M resources needed to effectively manage the new purchases during the grant period. Long-term management needs will be integrated into future requests under BPA project #199609401 | 1/1/2008 | 9/30/2010 | $25,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Manage for Proper Habitat Function Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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| Coordination | International Coordination | Coordinate the work of this project with similar Canadian conservation efforts through the SOSCP. Periodically attend SOSCP meetings/workshops/field trips to share information on acquisition/stewardship efforts. Look for opportunities to implement complimentary efforts along the international border. | 10/1/2007 | 9/30/2010 | $10,000 |
|
Biological objectives Enhance connectivity - prevent fragmentation Identify Key Blocks of Focal Habitats Protect Focal Habitats |
Metrics |
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Section 8. Budgets
Itemized estimated budget
| Item | Note | FY07 | FY08 | FY09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | acquisition, closing, survey | $525,000 | $775,000 | $775,000 |
| Personnel | [blank] | $50,000 | $51,500 | $51,500 |
| Fringe Benefits | [blank] | $12,000 | $12,500 | $12,500 |
| Overhead | [blank] | $15,000 | $15,500 | $15,500 |
| Travel | [blank] | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Supplies | [blank] | $21,000 | $21,000 | $21,000 |
| Totals | $625,000 | $877,500 | $877,500 | |
Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets
| Total itemized budget: | $2,380,000 |
| Total work element budget: | $2,380,000 |
Cost sharing
| Funding source/org | Item or service provided | FY 07 est value ($) | FY 08 est value ($) | FY 09 est value ($) | Cash or in-kind? | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||
Section 9. Project future
|
FY 2010 estimated budget: $15,000 FY 2011 estimated budget: $15,000 |
Comments: ongoing O&M needs |
Future O&M costs: These costs will be integrated into future O&M requests for the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area, BPA project 199609401
Termination date: 09/30/2010
Comments: This will end phase I. It may be desirable to continue the project beyond phase I to help achieve Subbasin Plan objectives and the objectives of other planning efforts such as the Ecoregional Assessment, WDFW Lands 20/20 document, OSCCP, and SOSCP
Final deliverables: 1) WDFW will hold title on up to 2000 acres of fee simple and conservation easement purchases. 2) Updated Scotch Creek Wildlife Area Plan with management of the new property integrated into the document. 3) Complete legal surveys of properties. 4) Fencing of all or part of purchases as needed. 5) Initial weed control on a portion of the purchases as needed.
Section 10. Narrative and other documents
| 200723200 requested review responses | Jul 2006 |
| scotchcreek_worksite | Jul 2006 |
| similkameen_worksite | Jul 2006 |
Reviews and recommendations
| FY07 budget | FY08 budget | FY09 budget | Total budget | Type | Category | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPCC FINAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Oct 23, 2006) [full Council recs] | ||||||
| $625,000 | $877,000 | $878,000 | $2,380,000 | Capital | ProvinceCapital | Fund |
| NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs] | ||||||
| $625,000 | $877,000 | $878,000 | $0 | ProvinceCapital | ||
ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)
Recommendation: Response requested
NPCC comments: This project calls for the purchase of up to 2000 acres to become part of the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area to improve situation for sharp-tailed grouse and other key species. The ISRP would like a response on a few items. Specifically, the ISRP would like a response on how this proposal integrates with Scotch Creek (199609401) and/or the shrub-steppe habitat (200708400) acquisition proposal? The ISRP would also like a response explaining the proximity of the habitat acquisition proposed in the Okanogan-Similkameen (this proposal) with the Scotch Creek WMA. The ISRP requests a map, showing these WMAs. This additional information could make a stronger case for purchase of 2000 acres. What specific characteristics would be used to identify the acres proposed for purchase (connectivity, plant communities, history of use, etc.)?
ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)
Recommendation: Fundable
NPCC comments: This project calls for the purchase of up to 2000 acres to become part of the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area to improve situation for sharp-tailed grouse and other key species. The ISRP requests for additional information including the rational for the establishment of priority sites and relationship to other Scotch Creek proposals were addressed in the sponsor response. With the references to Canada in the text, it would be useful in the future to provide an additional map at a smaller scale that shows the areas in Washington relative to the border with Canada to better understand the scales and proximity with Canada.