Section 1. Administrative
| Proposal title | Protect John's Creek Watershed |
| Proposal ID | 23031 |
| Organization | Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries/Watershed Program (NPT) |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator |
| Name | Heidi Mcroberts |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 365 Lapwai, ID 83540 |
| Phone / email | 2088437144 / heidim@nezperce.org |
| Manager authorizing this project | Ira Jones |
| Review cycle | FY 2001 High Priority |
| Province / Subbasin | Mountain Snake / Clearwater |
| Short description | Protect and enhance critical riparian areas of the John's Creek Watershed to restore quality habitat for chinook salmon, steelhead trout, bull trout, and resident fish, by excluding cattle grazing from critical habitat. |
| Target species | Steelhead, Spring Chinook Salmon, Bull Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout |
Project location
| Latitude | Longitude | Description |
|---|
| 45.8238 |
-115.8892 |
Johns Creek |
Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)
Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:
| Reviewing agency | Action # | BiOp Agency | Description |
|---|
Section 2. Past accomplishments
Section 3. Relationships to other projects
| Project ID | Title | Description |
|---|
Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase
Task-based budget
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
Outyear objectives-based budget
| Objective | Starting FY | Ending FY | Estimated cost |
|---|
Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase
Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase
Task-based budget
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
Outyear objectives-based budget
| Objective | Starting FY | Ending FY | Estimated cost |
|---|
Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase
Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase
Task-based budget
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
Outyear objectives-based budget
| Objective | Starting FY | Ending FY | Estimated cost |
|---|
Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase
| FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 | FY 2002 |
|---|
| $16,495 | $17,320 | $18,185 | $15,710 |
Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase
Task-based budget
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
Outyear objectives-based budget
| Objective | Starting FY | Ending FY | Estimated cost |
|---|
Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase
| FY 2002 | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
|---|
| $12,965 | $13,610 | $14,295 | $15,005 |
Section 8. Estimated budget summary
Itemized budget
| Item | Note | FY 2001 cost |
|---|
| Personnel |
FTE: 0.8 |
$34,605 |
| Fringe |
Based on employment status (Approx. 30%) |
$7,193 |
| Supplies |
|
$1,575 |
| Travel |
|
$4,500 |
| Indirect |
@ 20.9 % |
$10,005 |
| Subcontractor |
Fence Materials |
$16,000 |
| $73,878 |
Total estimated budget
| Total FY 2001 cost | $73,878 |
| Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds | $0 |
| Total FY 2001 budget request | $73,878 |
| FY 2001 forecast from 2000 | $0 |
| % change from forecast | 0.0% |
Cost sharing
| Organization | Item or service provided | Amount | Cash or in-kind |
|---|
| Nez Perce National Forest |
Planning & Design |
$5,000 |
in-kind |
Reviews and recommendations
This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.
Recommendation:
C
Date:
Feb 1, 2001
Comment:
Portions of this proposed work marginally meet the basic criteria - replacement of a dilapidated fence - objective 2, task 2, 3 and 4 ($50,000 requested, but that appears to be above the going rate for fencing). The project would exclude cattle grazing from critical riparian areas of the John's Creek Watershed. This portion meets the criteria. Proposed work seems very expensive relative to other fencing projects. It is a plus, that the proposal describes M&E.
Recommendation:
HP "A"
Date:
Feb 1, 2001
Comment:
Recommendation:
Date:
Feb 15, 2001
Comment:
ISRP Comment: Portions of this proposed work marginally meet the basic criteria – replacement of a dilapidated fence – objective 2, task 2, 3, and 4 ($50,000 requested, but that appears to be above the going rate for fencing).
Response: The ISRP does not expand upon this comment to explain where the project does not meet the criteria. Cost was not one of the criteria, although an explanation of the cost of the project is described below. The technical review by the Idaho SRT determined that this project met every criteria but one, that the stream is not a water quality-limited stream on the 303d list.
The John's Creek watershed is one of two watersheds within the South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin that posses a habitat stronghold for spring Chinook salmon. It is also one of two watersheds to have a wild B-run steelhead habitat and population stronghold in the South Fork Clearwater River (USDA Forest Service, 1998). American Creek, a tributary to John's Creek where the project site is located, is the only degraded portion of this highly productive watershed. This degradation has occurred from cattle grazing within the stream corridor, resulting in increased levels of sedimentation, stream bank instability and increased temperatures. By fencing cattle out of the creek, we will remove the single, significant source of degradation to fisheries habitat. Not only will this protect the existing stronghold habitats and populations downstream of project site, but also by stopping the disturbance resulting from cattle in the unfenced portion of the creek, we will allow natural processes in the system to restore the existing degraded habitat. With the excellent existing connectivity between the project area and the stronghold areas with John's Creek watershed, we expect to see improvements in both habitat and population status within a few years that will benefit, protect, and strengthen the entire drainage population.
ISRP Comment: Proposed work seems very expensive relative to other fencing projects.
Response: The proposed fence will be located in a watershed where the average snowfall is over 6 feet! The fence must be constructed in a manner to withstand these conditions, so that extensive maintenance is not needed in following years. The type of construction needed is 5" wooden pressure-treated posts with only 10-foot spans between each post. The project area is located in high elevation mountainous terrain; therefore, this heavy-duty construction is warranted in this watershed, which experiences extreme winter weather conditions. The costs for this project cannot be compared to typical fencing projects. Typical fencing projects are generally located in lower elevations with much milder weather conditions.