Wildlife Program report: Jun. 1-15, 2024

Managing Wildlife Populations

Maternity Roost Bat Emergence Counts: Biologists Lowe and Brinkman, along with help from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members DeVivo, Westerman, and Justice and Volunteer Deshazer, conducted evening emergence counts of two bat maternity colonies in Spokane and Lincoln counties this week.

Biologists Lowe and Brinkman, along with help from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members Lacivita, Harris, and Wagner and Volunteer Deshazer, conducted evening emergence counts of three bat maternity colonies this week. 

Chronic Wasting Disease Operations: Natural Resource Technician Moberg collected five Chronic Wasting Disease samples from roadkill deer at Department of Transportation pits, found along the roadway, and from a caller reporting a dead deer near their house.

Tucannon Bighorn Sheep: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman located the bighorn sheep this week. Six lambs have been observed this year, and there is still one ewe who may give birth.               

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Rock Lake Poison Hemlock: Access Manager Dziekan and Natural Resource Technician Brant revisited Rock Lake after an herbicide treatment last week. The herbicide took to the plants better than expected. Every plant that was sprayed was curling - won’t be long now before they are completely dead. Dziekan and Brant applied another round of herbicide this week. After the second round which should have about 90% of the plants treated, there are still going to be some that haven’t bolted yet and emerged from the brush, but Dziekan and Brant will continue to apply herbicide as they spot plants. Once the plants are dead, the areas where the public may reasonably interact with the plants will be cleared. Most of the plants are out of those areas, they are just waiting for the herbicide to kill the remainder. 

Routine Access Area Service: Natural Resource Technician Brant made a solo trip on the way back from the District 1 team meeting to check a few sites. Brant identified an issue with asphalt at Williams Lake. For some reason, the asphalt next to the toilet is caving in and creating a tripping hazard. This also creates an issue for ADA customers gaining access to the toilet. Brant piled larger stones in the gap, sourced from around the access area. Then he packed in the void with a mix of dirt and gravel that again was sourced from the access area. Brant then tamped it down and created a level surface that eliminated the tripping hazard improved access to the toilet facilities. A more permanent fix will be applied to the issue, but this was a great use of available resources to fix a problem in real-time. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Nuisance Marmots: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris coordinated with a wildlife control operator and other Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife District 2 staff members to remove nuisance yellow-bellied marmots from the Region 1 Headquarters office. The marmots were euthanized and saved to be donated as research specimens.

STEAM Presentation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris and Officer Beauchene talked with kids at East Farms Elementary about careers in wildlife biology and wildlife enforcement. Kids also engaged in a hands-on activity to learn about wildlife in Newman Lake.

Injured Owl: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris responded to a report of an injured owl sitting in the median on I-90. Harris was able to locate the owl and transport it to a rehabilitation facility in Spokane for treatment. The facility determined that the owl would not be able to recover from its injuries and humanely euthanized it. 

“Abandoned” Fawns: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb received a visit at the office by a concerned individual who was out spraying a large agricultural field when they came across a fawn. Assuming the fawn was abandoned because no adult deer were seen in the area, the individual picked the fawn up and put it in a box. Then they continued to spray the field, and the party came across another fawn. They picked that fawn up too. Kolb asked the individual where the box of deer was at and they said back at their shop, and they said they just needed to know where to take them. Kolb instructed the individual to immediately put the fawns back where they had been found. 

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Asotin Creek Wildlife Area Dozer Work: Natural Resource Scientist Whittaker finished leveling terraces with a District1 dozer and smoothed it out with 12 foot harrow on Meyers Ridge. After terraces were completed, they took the dozer down into George Creek to clean up trails. Rocks and overgrowth were pushed out of the way for recreational users. 

Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) Shrub Plot: Volunteers from the Spokane Audubon and Pheasant Forever put in a 780-shrub plot for wintering habitat for grouse. The plot is located just east of Z-Lake in the Lake Creek Drainage. A 7.5 foot deer fence was constructed around the shrubs to protect them from browsing. 

All the shrubs are in excellent condition, but maintenance is required to reduce weed competition. This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch took a backpack sprayer to spray between the rows. There was a lot of lamb’s quarter, hoary cress, and Canada thistle between the rows. There was also a lot of silky milkweed coming so Finch avoided spraying that beneficial plant for monarch butterflies. 

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) Volunteer Work-party Weekend: The annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteer work party took place this past weekend with a smaller than average turnout. There was some great work completed! Washington State Fish and Wildlife staff members Dice, Woodall, and Hammons, and University of Idaho Interns Cheili and Alli worked with about 20 volunteers to remove approximately four miles of fence, put out salt blocks, and clean out water troughs. 

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

General Facilities and Equipment Maintenance and Repairs: Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Palmer replaced a leaky section of irrigation pipe leading from Sherman Creek, through a diversion box, to the private Sherman Creek Orchard, and Sherman Creek Wildlife Area’s agricultural fields. He found some extra pipe stored at the wildlife area and was able to patch it back in.

Chapman Lake Visit: This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner, and Region 1 Real Estate Specialist Stallinga met at Chapman Lake to install two different signs. A couple signs stated “No Target Practice” and WAC 220-500-140. The other signs were Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife boundary signs that will identify the property line. Wagner drilled out the lock holes on the gate to install the larger size locks that the Department uses. 

General Facilities and Equipment Maintenance and Repairs: Access Area Manager Dziekan and Natural Resource Technician Brant completed All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) training at the Blue Mountains Wildlife Area. After formal training concluded, trainers and trainees went on a wildlife area trail ride, even spotting a sow bear and her cub from a safe distance. 

This training has freed up the pair to use their ATV for weed control, greatly increasing their efficiency in maintaining the grounds at their water access areas. Dziekan and Brant also found that the previous damage to an ATV they had borrowed was worse than expected. Dziekan ordered parts and he and Brant will repair the vehicle. When they are done, the ATV will have new brake pads all around, new rotors on the front, and a new caliper on the front right, all for hundreds of dollars cheaper than a service shop would charge.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

L.T. Murray Shoestring Trail and Camp Sites: Natural Resource Scientist Nass worked with the President of Northwest Motorcycle Association Toenyan in the planning phase of re-routing one mile of the existing single track/multi-use trail contributing sediment loading into the South Fork Manastash Creek. 

Staff members worked with law enforcement to remove an abandoned camper from a Taneum Creek camping site. The camper had a blown tire, plywood doors, and unhealthy interior air quality.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Corral Canyon Elk Area Damage Prevention and Kill Permits: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand prepared the next round of damage prevention permits (DPP) and kill permits in Elk Area 3721. Permits will be distributed in the next week to landowners on Rattlesnake Mountain to assist with crop damage impacts from elk leaving the Hanford National Monument.

Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continues to monitor elk activity and damage impacts while actively performing late night and early morning hazing patrols. They coordinated with and assisted landowners and damage hunt participants. Increasing numbers of elk continue to raid wheat fields along the top of Rattlesnake Mountain, mostly at night.

Plymouth Paterson Wine Grapes: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand checked several wine grape vineyards in south Benton County for deer damage. Although deer activity was observed in a few areas, no significant damage is occurring at this time, likely due to lots of different forage available and active hazing strategies.

Vehicle and Deer Collisions: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand was dispatched to two calls for service concerning injured deer involved with vehicle collisions. One young buck deer was euthanized, and two doe deer were deceased on arrival. All of the carcasses were transported and deposited at the Washington Department of Transportation carcass pit.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

L.T. Murray Volunteer Events: Assistant Manager Winegeart and Natural Resource Scientist Nass worked with volunteers on the annual maintenance of the South Fork Manastash cabin. Enforcement has been using the cabin during elk season and it has great historical value to some folks in the Ellensburg area. 

Assistant Manager Winegeart led a volunteer event to remove relic barbed wire from the Whiskey Dick Unit. The project originally began as part of a mule deer migration corridor enhancement grant and to the volunteers' delight, a fawn was located on the fence line. The crew was able to see a benefit of their efforts as this little fellow stands a greater chance of survival with the old fence removed. The crew moved to a different area to work.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Volunteer Service Day: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Charlet and 18 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife volunteers collected garbage from high public use areas around the wildlife area, including dispersed camping sites, target shooting sites, and various roadways. Volunteers covered over 100 miles of roadways on the wildlife area and collected roughly 300 pounds of garbage. Their success and hard work were celebrated with an annual potluck BBQ and meeting at the Oak Creek Visitor Center.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Weed Control: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members have continued chemical control of noxious weeds throughout the wildlife area. The primary focus has been on the control of Scotch thistle, but as time allows all species on the noxious weed list are controlled. Contractors have also completed the chemical control of noxious weeds on the Cowiche Unit.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Western Pond Turtle: Western pond turtle nest monitoring occurs daily from mid-May to mid-July. Staff members and volunteers cover two-hour shifts starting at 12 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. or until the last female is done nesting. Biologist Tirhi has covered nest monitoring each Thursday at the Pierce County recovery site since monitoring began mid-May. The first nests at the site began with two nests laid June 11 and one more laid June 12. Tirhi also found one female turtle attempting to nest June 13, but she abandoned the site after hitting significant rocks. 

At the request of Biologist Butler, who oversees the Pierce County pond turtle recovery, Biologist Tirhi met with Woodland Park Zoo staff members to excavate all three nests for eggs. They collected the eggs and they will be provided to the zoo for the head-start program.

Bats and White Nose Syndrome: Biologists Butler and Tirhi participated in the first of two bat capture and processing nights at the Northwest Trek bat colony. This is part of a multiyear study in partnership with Conservation Society Canada, McMaster University, Thompson Rivers University, Woodland Park Zoo, and Northwest Trek to test a probiotic spray that will help bats survive white-nose syndrome. This year’s goal was to evaluate survival and disease status of recaptured bats that were exposed to the probiotic in 2023. 

Oregon Vesper Sparrow (OVSP): Biologists Butler and Tirhi participated in the first year of standardized Oregon vesper sparrow (OVSP) surveys across District 11. Oregon vesper sparrow are a state listed and federal candidate species (currently under federal review for listing) that occupy grasslands with infrequent and scattered brush and trees to nest. This is the first year Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct standardized nest surveys across historic breeding sites in partnership with federal partners and non-government organizations. 

The survey design requires a start time that begins a half hour before sunrise. Then surveyors walk established transects placed across Oregon vesper sparrow habitat. They stop every 100 meters to listen and look for Oregon vesper sparrows. They play one minute of taped Oregon vesper sparrow song via loudspeaker. Oregon vesper sparrow males are known through research to respond to such calls by entering the zone to investigate and defend their territory. 

Tirhi and Butler have completed surveys at Olympia Airport, with assistance of Biologist Rolls, Scatter Creek South Unit, Violet Prairie Unit, and West Rocky Prairie Unit. Unfortunately, the suite of Puget Prairie grassland birds was documented including savannah sparrows, western meadowlarks, chipping sparrows, killdeer, and many other common birds. Unfortunately, no Oregon vesper sparrows were detected. These results point to the reality of the decline of this once common grassland bird. The decline is primarily due to the loss of the once extensive native prairies across the South Puget Sound.

Streaked Horned Lark: Biologists Tirhi and Butler completed two of three surveys of state and federally listed streaked horn lark at the Olympia and Tacoma Narrows airports. These surveys are conducted every three years unless a site is declining, then the survey is conducted annually. Both airfields have experienced ongoing declines and thus were surveyed in 2023 and 2024. An analysis of trends will be published in 2025. We are grateful to both airfields for supporting this important species work.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Western Washington Habitat Connectivity: Biologist Tirhi represented Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at the full-day 2024 Southwest Washington Habitat Connectivity Summit. It was hosted by Washington Department of Transportation and Conservation Northwest. The summit was filled with presentations regarding the need, data collection, planning efforts, and ongoing collaboration to install several crossing structures across Washington’s Interstate 5 to provide a vital link to allow wildlife to cross this current major barrier. Biologist Tirhi serves on the technical team for the north linkage section of this project.

Wildlife Area Management: Wildlife Area Manager Laushman maintained and treated vegetation at the Bell Creek, Morse Creek, and South Puget Sound units, and cleaned up an illegal dump at Morse Creek. 

Providing Education and Outreach

University of Washington Capstone Project: Biologist Tirhi attended the demonstration day event at the University of Washington Tacoma Campus Engineering School to meet with and watch the demonstration of a project she mentored. 

Five students at the school contacted Tirhi in late winter asking for her mentorship of a capstone project that would benefit wildlife in a real-world scenario. Tirhi explained to the group the labor intensive 35-year western pond turtle recovery project that relies on daily VHF monitoring of transmittered female turtles. The student team decided to take on this project by creating a feasibility pilot that relies on satellite trackers, a satellite application to phone notification, and an electronic fence around the ponds inhabited by the turtles. The team did an amazing job gathering data on the need and difficulties and finding a potentially workable solution using satellite instead of VHF. The project culminated in the demo day and a detailed report for graduation.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Region 6 Interviews: Biologist Tirhi sat on the interview panel and assisted with drafting interview questions for the new Region 6 biodiversity biologist position being hired with funds from a newly passed legislative Diversity funding pack. This position and its supervised staff members will both provide needed assistance to existing district work in Region 6 as well as projects directed at SGCN needing attention.