Wildlife Program report: Jul. 1-15, 2024

Managing Wildlife Populations

Elk Calf Study: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman responded to a collar mortality from the elk calf study and found a dropped collar in a brush pile. 

They placed the bear-resistant food locker at a popular campground on Sherman Creek Wildlife Area. The box is identical to those used by the adjacent Colville National Forest. Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Palmer’s professional construction skills came in especially handy for construction of the concrete pad. A portable electric concrete mixer was essential to getting the pad poured in a reasonable amount of time. There are four lockers left to install. Two lockers will be placed in campgrounds at LeClerc Creek Wildlife Area, where grizzly bears could conceivably be passing through, and two more for busy campgrounds at Sherman Creek. A WDFW logo sticker marks the first box. Hopefully this is the first of many bear-resistant food lockers placed at WDFW camping areas throughout the state!  

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Providing Education and Outreach

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Managing Wildlife Populations

Sharp-Tailed Grouse Research Assistance: Private Lands Biologist Braaten assisted with determining nest success of a GPS collared sharp-tailed grouse hen that nested on private land near the Big Bend Wildlife Area in Douglas County. Braaten secured permission for access from the private landowner to collect data. The nests were located, photos of nest and location were collected, and 11 eggshells were gathered for the research effort. The sharp-tailed grouse hen had successfully hatched all 11 eggs and the most current collar data shows she is with her brood at lower elevations.

Lynx Cameras: Biologist Turnock and Technician Hara went on a backcountry trip to deploy remote cameras along hiking trails as part of the multiagency Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Project. These cameras are targeting lynx but will hopefully detect a variety of wildlife species that use high elevation hiking trails in the summer. 

Bullfrog Removal: Biologists Gallie and Turnock along with Technicians Force and Hara have been assisting with nocturnal bullfrog removal efforts on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. Bullfrogs are a highly problematic invasive species in Washington because they are voracious predators. These removal efforts will hopefully improve survival of reintroduced northern leopard frogs, a native species.

Fisher Reintroduction Monitoring: Biologist Fitkin and Heinlen, with help from Volunteer Fisher, finished retrieving the remote cameras at sites where they were deployed last fall as part of the North Cascades occupancy monitoring effort following recent reintroduction efforts. Overall, fishers were detected in three different watersheds at 3 of the 21 sites. As always, the cameras are documenting a variety of other species of interest as well. Apparently, fisher scent lure is the trendy new fragrance for chic carnivores in the know.

Bat Colony Surveying: Biologist Fitkin, WDFW headquarters and regional diversity staff members, U.S. Forest Service staff members, and local volunteers completed the last of three scheduled bat colony reconnaissance surveys in the Methow Watershed. Results include monitoring a colony of more than 300 pallid bats, and documenting big brown bat colonies of more than 100 and colonies of more than 200. This effort provides valuable information on species distribution in Washington and helps identify possible locations for white-nosed syndrome monitoring and other bat conservation activities.

Lynx Surveys: Biologists Fitkin and Heinlen, with help from Forest Service Technician Barnett and Volunteer Fisher, deployed an array of remote cameras as part of long-term lynx monitoring strategy. This is part of the initial field season of the Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Project, a coalition of government agencies and non-profit groups seeking to monitor lynx and wolverine occupancy in the Washington Cascades over a 20-year period. The cameras will be retrieved later this summer and fall after a minimum 60-day deployment.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Recreation and Conservation Office Grants: Area Regional Wildlife Program Manager Troyer is wrapping up Washington Wildlife and Recreation Programs–State Lands grants centered around enhancing recreational opportunities throughout Okanogan County. The first grant is to improve parking and trailhead facilities at the Big Valley Unit of the Methow Wildlife Area. The second grant aims to enhance camping opportunities at the upper Bear Creek Campground by adding fire rings and picnic tables, gravelling parking areas, updating the vault toilet, and increasing ADA camping opportunities. The last grant is located at Silver Nail Lake near the town of Oroville. This lake is open to fishing for youth, seniors, and people with disabilities and the grant is designed to improve the access site to be more user friendly with an emphasis on ADA compliant fishing docks and platforms. 

Hunter Access: Biologist Morris continued checking and posting signs on hunter access properties. Morris maintains signs on several thousand acres, so working on them throughout the summer ensures all properties will be properly signed come hunting season this fall.

Grimes Lake fishing season is still open, and Morris continues to check that everything is going well. The site is nice and clean.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Chesaw Weed Control: Sinlahekin staff members assisted Scotch Creek staff members with treating musk thistle on the Chesaw Unit. The Washington State Class B weed can be found throughout the unit. Staff members focused on the south dryer slopes with shallow soils and will move to the North slopes later in the season. In total 400 acres of the unit have been treated.

Methow Fencing: Natural Resource Specialist Wottlin worked with contractors to get a section of fence rebuilt in the Ramsey Creek area to help prevent trespassing cows coming off a U.S. Forest Service pasture onto the wildlife area. Additionally, Biologist Repp conducted maintenance on a problem section of fence in the Rendezvous Unit. This fence borders U.S. Forest Service land. There have been complaints in the past from adjacent private property owners about trespassing cows coming off the Forest Service land onto their private property. WDFW does its part in maintaining the fence on the wildlife area border. However, the fence continues onto Department of Natural Resources-owned ground and there has been no maintenance on that section of fence in years.

Irrigating Agricultural Fields: Natural Resource Technicians Haney-Williamson, Garcia and Ruiz have been working hard to irrigate crop fields on the Bridgeport Bar and Washburn Island. This has involved maintenance and repairs, setting up and moving hand lines, clearing debris from pump intake and fish screens, and other irrigation.

Habitat Plots: Biologist Morris set up his game camera on a habitat plot. The game camera serves two purposes: it will hopefully reveal any wildlife use of the habitat plot, and it will also show the plant development and growth throughout the year. There were not many wildlife observations. The site will need some more minor mechanical weed control to ensure it is ready for seeding this fall.

Morris checked a habitat plot that Technician Blanchard sprayed for Canada thistle control in June. It appears that there is a good kill on the Canada thistle. Morris will continue to monitor the thistle infestation.

Water Birch Enclosure Irrigation Set-up: Wildlife area staff members have set up irrigation for water birch enclosures in the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area. This involved maintaining drip lines, setting up timers, repairing fencing, repairing pumps, and clearing vegetation. This process was made much simpler by Biologist Haupt’s efforts last year to map each enclosure and record information relevant to irrigation set up in each location. Each enclosure is set up in a specific way, and it made a big difference for wildlife area staff members to go into each enclosure with a clear map of the pumps, timers, shrub rows, emitters, and other information about the set up. The warm weather this month made getting water to the water birch a high priority.

Fire Break Russian Thistle: Wildlife area staff members treated Russian thistle along firebreaks in the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area.

Releasing Biocontrols: Biocontrol weevils, Mecinus janthinus, were released in the Big Bend area to control dalmatian toadflax. Around 4,000 Mecinus janthinus were released with the intention that they will reduce toadflax flowering and seed production. 

Mowing Efforts: Wildlife area staff members have been mowing roads across Wells, Sagebrush Flat, and Big Bend wildlife areas.

Restoration Fields: Efforts to control weeds were marginal due to multiple tractor and mower repair delays, and cattle interference. With the limited equipment available, Technician Rios arranged to borrow the Colockum Wildlife Area tractor, which developed issues that also required service. Meanwhile, Technicians Chouinard, Garcia, and Balderston mowed annual grass across Magers, Bissell Flat, and a Bridgeport Bar restoration field at Big Bend and Wells Wildlife Area. Biologist Blake coordinated assistance with Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative Environmental Planner Merg to assist with broadleaf weed control at the Bissell Flat field of Big Bend. Manager Peterson arranged for a second helicopter chemical fallow treatment at the new Barclay Crane field of Wells Wildlife Area. Biologist Blake worked with Big Bend Wildlife Area grazing permittee to spray bindweed on an Environmental Quality Incentives Program restoration field at Barry field, only to find cattle had intruded and interfered with the foliage surface available to spray. 

Barclay Crane Phase 2 Acquisition: The Barclay Crane parcel (672 acres) closed and became an official part of Central Ferry Canyon, a unit of Wells Wildlife Area.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Acquisitions: Assistant Regional Wildlife Area Manager Troyer is compiling upwards of eight Lands 20/20 applications for potential acquisitions throughout Okanogan County. Several potential acquisition properties are in the Methow Valley, but the majority for this round are near the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area, which has a strong emphasis on sharp-tailed grouse recovery.

Other

Wilderness First Aid Training: Biologist Blake and Natural Resource Technician Garcia attended Wilderness First Aid training in Wenatchee this month. Both successfully completed the course. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

District 8 North American Bat Monitoring Program: District 8 Assistant Wildlife Biologist Moore and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Intern Flores deployed acoustic recording units as part of the annual North American Bat Monitoring Program facilitated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The acoustic monitors are deployed in the same location every year and help biologists monitor for changes in species composition and population. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Wenas Wildlife Area – Legoman Kiosk Install: Wenas Wildlife Area Biologist Miller along with Natural Resource Technician Stoltenow and Janes installed a kiosk in the Legoman portion of the wildlife area which borders U.S. Forest Service land. The kiosk shows a map of the green dot roads in the area along with other informational signs relating to WDFW regulations.

Wenas Wildlife Area – Shooting Restriction Sign Install: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Stoltenow and Janes finished making a sign that shows the current restrictions on target shooting in the wildlife area and, with the help of Biologist Miller, installed the sign on Durr Road leading to new shooting range. The sign is a copy of the sign on Sheep Company Road.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members posted fire restriction signs across the wildlife area. Fire restrictions went into effect on July 1 and aim to reduce the risk of starting a wildfire by limiting allowed activities, including no discharge of firearms, no chainsaw use, and no campfires.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

District 4 Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to monitor elk activity and haze elk out of winter wheat crops near the Hanford National Monument. New damage prevention permits were issued to landowners in Elk Area 3721 and minimal harvest has likely occurred due to nocturnal elk movements and hot weather conditions. Late night-early morning hazing patrols will continue by landowners and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand.

 District 4 Kahlotus Wheat Harvest: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand checked on harvest activity at several wheatfields where deer damage had occurred from last winter. None of the landowners have started harvesting yet, but likely will in the next week. As of now, no crop damage claims have been initiated, but once harvest starts and access to more remote areas of the fields is available more deer damage could be evident.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Wenas Wildlife Area – Weed Control: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members continued efforts to control invasive weeds in the wildlife area through the use of backpack sprayers. Canadian thistle continues to be the main target for control this time of year, before it can go to seed.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Noxious Weed Control: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members continue to chemically control noxious weeds across the wildlife area. As summer progresses most plants have matured in lower elevations, so staff members have started to focus efforts on the control of weeds in the Rock Creek Unit. This area is at a higher elevation but still contains a diverse list of noxious weeds, especially in disturbed areas, including Canada thistle, St Johns wort, knapweed, and dalmatian toadflax. 

L.T. Murray Teanaway Unit Weed Control: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart treated weeds in the Teanaway Unit meadows. The area had been treated for mainly Canada thistle, Sulphur cinquefoil, and diffuse knapweed by Mid-Columbia Fisheries under grant funding for the past couple years and was looking good. 

L.T. Murray, Yakima River Unit: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore and Assistant Manager Winegeart installed two trail cameras on an illegal creek crossing and have acquired more than ten pictures which include vehicles in the water and other pertinent information. L.T. Murray Wildlife Area crew members first placed ecology blocks to block the trail. When someone pulled one out of the way and continued to use the trial to cross the illegal ford, the crew added boulders to the hill slope and slope toe. The users then cut small trees and brush to create a new trail around the blocks and after only two weeks it has received so much use, the trail appears to have been there for years.

Sunnyside Wetlands: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area staff members have begun mowing wetlands in the Headquarters Unit in preparation for upcoming duck banding and routine reflooding in the fall.

Benton City Restoration: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Jahns met with Benton Conservation District staff members to discuss the initial planning for a potential restoration project at the Benton City boat ramp site. The goal of the project is to restore the area into a native heritage garden for the benefit of pollinators and other wildlife species. The project will be a collaborative effort between wildlife area staff, Benton Conservation District, and the City of Benton. The hope is to engage with local schools and other volunteer groups to implement the project. 

Other

Wenas Wildlife Area – Vehicle Maintenance: Wenas Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Taylor along with Technicians Stoltenow and Janes have been performing maintenance and repairs on various vehicles and equipment. 

Lands 20/20: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Jahns have been using the hot afternoons to work on two Lands 20/20 applications as the deadline approaches.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Carnivore Monitoring Program: District 14 biologists have been assisting the National Park Service (NPS) in deploying wolverine monitoring stations under the Woodland Park Zoo Carnivore Monitoring Program. In 2013, the North Cascades wolverine population was estimated to be less than 40 individuals. While they are making a comeback in our region, these elusive creatures have slow reproduction rates and are facing climate change challenges. Their preference for high mountain terrain makes them difficult to study. These stations will aid in defining the current distribution of wolverines and, if detected, to collect genetic samples to better understand their relationships to other populations in the region. 

Loon Surveys: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Biologist Soltysiak and NPS Biologist Christophersen backpacked into the Ross Lake area to monitor common loon activity. While two adult pairs were observed, neither were displaying any signs of nesting. Breeding pairs of loons within District 14 are becoming increasingly rare. At this site, the last known nest was three years ago. Common loons are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need due to their shrinking range, small populations, and vulnerability to development and recreational pressure at sensitive nesting lakes. Fisherman are encouraged to reach out to district staff members for non-lead tackle in efforts to protect this unique bird. 

Fisher Monitoring Continues: District wildlife staff members continue to retrieve cameras and bait stations from many different locations in the North Cascades. Although fishers have been absent from several of the recently collected stations, there have been noteworthy detections of other important forest carnivores including a wolverine and numerous American marten. This effort is an essential part of evaluating fisher reintroduction success that simultaneously provides valuable information on a variety of species of conservation interest. 

Bats – North American Bat (NABat) and other Surveys: District 13 continued Region 4’s effort towards the annual acoustic bat surveys for the international NABat Program. Detectors were deployed in four quadrants of a randomly selected grid cell in Arlington that have been consistently monitored during approximately the same time over many years. Learn more at our Pacific Northwest coordination site from Oregon State University. 

Additionally, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag reading devices at two white-nose syndrome (WNS) research sites in District 13 were visited for maintenance, and an emergence count was conducted at a WNS research site in Darrington. At the Darrington site 170 bats were counted, which was a modest increase from previous years. 

Bat Maternity Colony Monitoring: Biologists Anderson and Smith initiated annual maternity colony monitoring at the first of multiple sites that are monitored each season.

Deception Crag Peregrine Falcon Climbing Conflict: The active eyrie at Deception Crags in the I-90 corridor is now open. The falcons successfully reared at least two eyasses (had three, one not seen after fledging). Thanks to our partners at Urban Raptor Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, Mount Baker Snoqualmie – North Bend Ranger District, Washington State Parks, and the broader support of the climbing community in closure of the crag to provide for safety of climbers and successful nesting of the falcons.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

UW Drumheller Fountain Urban Duck Conflict: Biologists Anderson and Smith met with University of Washington (UW) Environmental Health and Safety specialists and campus maintenance to remove a flighted hen and her unflighted chicks from Drumheller Fountain. The fountain has an urban mallard brood annually, enough that the facilities crew has constructed a number of “fountain ramps” for them.

Unfortunately, the ducks would not leave the entirely dry fountain, which is drained biennially for removal of refuse (wheelchairs, scooters, bikes, cell phones, laptops – you name it) and maintained, then filled again. This can’t be done with mama mallard and her babies! Anderson and Smith quickly removed the ducks and translocated them elsewhere on Lake Washington. Fountain is clean and ready for ducks next season.

Lower Snoqualmie Valley Elk Conflict: Biologist Smith, Anderson, and Wildlife Conflict Specialist O’Connor have been working with a producer at Carnation Farms to fit elk with collars or solar ear tags to examine spatial movements both regarding crops and conflict. The general movements in the area are also examined and how that may change as the former game reserve (Carnation Farms) deploys techniques to deter the elk from their property and crops. A company that makes the solar ear tags has graciously donated a couple to test in the thick and dark western Washington. Luck would have it that a recent quick evening attempt led to successfully darting a bull. He is now bejeweled with an ear tag and is moving about the area – including WDFW Stillwater Wildlife Management Unit.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

South Fork Tolt Relicensing: Biologist Anderson met with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission representatives, City of Seattle, and partners (non-government organizations, tribal, municipal, and other resource entities such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) in ongoing efforts to guide the relicensing needs of the South Fork Tolt Reservoir. Anderson also provided WDFW wildlife representation in a meeting regarding terrestrial wildlife. Anderson discussed local state listed (sensitive) common loon management needs. Anderson also discussed the possibility for data to be captured on the loon prey resource potential of the reservoir, as part of a larger fish population study of the reservoir. The South Fork Tolt Reservoir supplies drinking water to north King County and generates power. These planning meetings and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process are related to the power generation management and use of the reservoir.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Annual Band-Tailed Pigeon Surveys: Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, Holman, and Stephens began conducting their respective band-tailed pigeon surveys in Region 5. Additionally, Holman teamed with Region 6 Biologist Novack to survey a site in the estuary of the Chehalis River that can only be accessed by boat. Nesting birds congregate at natural mineral springs throughout the summer to consume supplemental minerals, primarily sodium and calcium. The same mineral sites are surveyed each year by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists across western Washington and the results are combined with similar efforts in British Columbia, Oregon, and California to monitor the population at the flyway level. Survey results affect the season and bag-limits for band-tailed pigeons each year and will be presented in future weekly reports.

Northwestern Pond Turtle Population Estimate: From June 5 through June 26, Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, and Ott, along with many helpers, deployed 41 turtle hoop traps at a site in Klickitat County and checked traps daily. The traps were spread across four water bodies that are historical northwestern pond turtle locations. Every year, the district staff members perform a mark-recapture trapping effort at one turtle site to generate a population estimate. All captured turtles are individually marked and the number of times each individual turtle is captured is recorded. The number of captures and recaptures is plugged into a model (along with other variables) which will generate an estimated number of turtles present at the site. This season, the crew caught 286 individual pond turtles and two individual painted turtles for a total of 805 captures (including recaptures). We will be anxiously waiting for Science Division staff members to calculate the population estimate. During the last trapping effort at that site (in 2018), there was a total of 511 captures and 207 were pond turtles. It appears that the pond turtle population has increased (HOORAY!). Also of note, the crew captured and marked 69 new wild-born turtles, three times the number of new turtles captured in 2018 (double HOORAY!). This large number of new turtles (indicating natural recruitment) confirms that the removal of invasive bullfrogs from this site is benefitting the pond turtles and many other native species. Special thanks to all the folks (20 people total!!) that assisted with trap setting, checking, and take-down.

Mardon Skipper Surveys: During the first two weeks of July, Biologists Bergh, Wickhem, and Ott, as well as the new District 9 Klickitat Wildlife Area Manager Cass Holman, assisted in modified peak count surveys for state endangered mardon skippers. These surveys are coordinated by the U.S. Forest Service as a part of a 3-year effort to visit sites historically occupied by mardon skippers across their range within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 

Mardon skippers require open meadows with ample sun, bunch grasses, and floral resources. Existing populations of mardon skippers are highly isolated and under threat due to habitat loss and/or degradation caused by forest encroachment, invasive plants, and fire suppression. These surveys will help inform appropriate localized and landscape scale habitat management for the species on U. S. Forest Service land. Although no sites assigned to WDFW staff members yielded positive detections of mardon skippers, the staff members thoroughly enjoyed the time spent walking in subalpine meadows identifying butterflies and collaborating with U.S. Forest Service staff members.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Oneida Access Area: Access staff members have started mowing some of WDFW sites including Onieda Access Area. Staff members mow certain areas to provide additional parking and to also try and keep fire danger down. Hot weather, tall grass, and hot exhaust pipes do not mix well. Onieda Access Area has two field parking areas that will be heavily used starting in August.

Fourth of July Aftermath: As expected, the week after the Fourth of July was busy. Many sites in Washougal, Kalama, and Mineral Lake were used heavily by the public. Unfortunately, many visitors didn’t “pack it in, pack it out.”

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Pacificorps Wildlife Habitat Management Lands: Biologist Holman joined Pacificorps staff members to visit multiple locations in the higher elevation portions of Pacificorps Lewis River Habitat Management Lands to evaluate ongoing enhancement efforts. U.S. Forest Service Supervisory Biologist Rich attended as well.

The group saw forest management projects such as pre-commercial thinning and reforestation, soil augmentations designed to increase pH, elk forage plot establishment, and weed control in wetlands. All projects on the habitat enhancement lands are on schedule. Pacificorp lands include approximately 16,000 acres of enhanced wildlife habitat in the North Fork Lewis River basin to partially balance the impacts of the hydropower system on the river. These lands are open to the public for non-motorized recreation including hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. 

Other

New Klickitat Wildlife Area Manager: We are very excited to announce that the Klickitat Wildlife Area has a new manager. Cassandra “Cass” Holman started her role with WDFW on July 1. It took over seven months to find the right person for the job, however Cass was a true standout from all the other candidates. We are very happy to have her as part of the Region 5 Wildlife Program team. 

Cassandra is a wildlife and conservation biologist with a focus on addressing ecological challenges in human-compromised or altered ecosystems. She recently worked in northern California implementing floodplain reconnection and habitat restoration projects in the Trinity River watershed. However, her career has also taken her to Alaska, Colorado, New England, Texas, and North Carolina. Originally from Rhode Island, Cass is excited to call Washington home for the long term. She has a strong background in grant writing, project management, and forming conservation partnerships with stakeholders to make a tangible difference. As the new manager of the Klickitat Wildlife Area, she is dedicated to meeting the state’s objectives for species conservation and habitat protection.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Rat Island Terns: Wildlife Veterinarian Haman and Wildlife Area Manager Laushman visited Rat Island, part of the North Olympic Wildlife Area’s Marrowstone Unit, to check on the nesting population of Caspian terns.

Wolf Monitoring: Biologist Tirhi and Volunteer Terry spent a half day getting a remote camera deployed at higher elevation off Highway 410 on U.S. Forest Service land bordering Mt. Rainier to the change battery and SD card. Between District 11 and partners at Northwest Trek, 12 cameras are currently deployed around the Carbon and White river drainages for monitoring wolf recolonization in the district. No wolves have been detected on cameras to date since the monitoring began in July 2019 when the first credible report of a suspected wolf was reported near Wilkenson.

Snake Fungal Disease (SFD): At the request of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Dr. Haman, District 11 staff members are piloting a garter snake collection program to test for SFD following emerging reports of this debilitating snake disease. There were two reports and one confirmation of the fungus that causes SFD at the Billy Frank Jr Wildlife Refuge near Lacey. District 11 has deployed cover boards at South Puget Sound Wildlife Area for snake use and collection. Collection will be attempted at other sections of this wildlife area as well as on Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) and potentially, at other sites in the district. Snakes that are captured are swabbed and any lesions are measured and photographed. Severely infected snakes will be sent to a rehabilitator while dead snakes will be sent to the lab for testing. SFD only affects snakes.

 Bats Emergence Surveys: Biologist Tirhi organized the District 11 annual bat emergence surveys. Of the six bat colonies targeted for long term monitoring of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in District 11, surveys were conducted at the Elbe colony and Western State Hospital (Steilacoom) colony. The survey showed colony counts were significantly down at both, more with the Western State Hospital colony likely due to impacts other than WNS. Elbe count dropped from 147 bats in 2023 to 56 bats in 2024, the lowest count at the colony in the years of monitoring. There is no known change or disturbance at this colony to explain this significant drop. Tirhi will be visiting neighboring homes to ask if anyone has had an influx of bats this season.

Western State Hospital count dropped from 206 bats in 2023 to 49 bats in 2024. The hospital underwent major demolition this year leading up to the bat season including the removal of the building that housed the largest number of bats roosting at the complex. This undoubtedly was responsible for the major decline in numbers. There is no way to determine where more than 150 female bats went to birth this year, but they did not use the hospital grounds. Tirhi had surveyors encircling the complex who would have counted bats had they moved to a new location. 

Biologist Cent also conducted District 17 pre-emergence exit counts at two colonies in Grays Harbor County.

Northwestern Pond Turtles: Biologist Butler, Biologist Tirhi, Technician Cheney, Volunteer Terry, and JBLM interns finished up the 2024 nest monitoring season. There were 19 breeding size adult females tracked this season at the Pierce County recovery site. A VFH transmitter was attached to each female during the spring trapping session. WDFW staff members and volunteers monitored these turtles every day via visual observations and telemetry from noon until 8 p.m. starting mid-May through mid-July. 

This nesting season started off cooler and wetter than previous years, leading to a later start to nesting. The first nest was found around June 10 and the last was found on June 19. A total of eight nests were found. All but one of the nests went to the Woodland Park Zoo to enter the head-starting program, with one nest remaining in the ground at the Pierce County recovery site. There were an additional four turtles found out of the pond this season with no nest located. These turtles may have nested outside the monitoring time which caused us to miss their nests. Monitoring continued into the second week of July with the hope of increasing the number of nests found, but unfortunately there was no out of pond activity since June 19. The official monitoring season came to an end, but staff members and volunteers will sporadically monitor while conducting other work at the site through July and August.

Snowy Plovers: Biologist Cent continues to assist with plover nest searches and chick banding. Three chicks were captured and banded at Copalis Spit. 

Band-Tailed Pigeon: Biologist Novack and Biologist Cent conducted the annual mineral site survey at the recently discovered Moclips site. This is the third year surveying this site, which will allow for its inclusion into the range wide survey. 34 birds were counted, which is within the typical range for this site. 

District 10 Biologist Holman brought his agency boat and assisted Biologist Novack with the band-tailed pigeon survey at Cosmopolis. This survey requires boating up the Chehalis River from Aberdeen. A total of 212 birds were counted at this site.

Biologist Novack discovered a large group of more than 60 band-tails near Grayland. He contacted the landowner and made tentative arrangements to try and capture a few birds for placement of transmitters. The feeding site is over 19 miles from either of the closest known mineral sites.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Hunting Season 2024-2025: Biologist Tirhi responded to approximately ten phone calls from hunters seeking input on permit hunts they were successfully drawn for. Tirhi provided information, maps on access, and prospects. Tirhi also randomly spoke to hunters in the field while doing other field work.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

North Olympic Equipment Repair: Assistant Regional Program Manager Blankenship helped Wildlife Area Manager Laushman repair a flat tire on a new zero turn mower at the North Olympic Wildlife Area. 

Potential Acquisition Site Visits: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman and Assistant Regional Program Manager Blankenship visited with a landowner and project partners from the Jefferson Land Trust to look at areas along Chimacum Creek that could be part of a future donation for habitat conservation.

Recreational Conservation Office (RCO) Grant: Biologist Novack finalized the Lands 20/20 application for additional parcels in the Willapa Bay area and revised the RCO riparian grant proposal for lands in Chehalis Valley.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Training: Biologist Novack attended the WDFW Wildfire Smoke Safety Training.