Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Project 199106100

SWANSON LAKES WILDLIFE AREA(SLWA)

Project 25001

Acquire Sharp-tailed Grouse Habitat at the SLWA

PROJECT LAND OWNERSHIPPROJECT LAND OWNERSHIP

SLWA Cover TypesSLWA Cover TypesCover Type Acres

Shrub-steppe 14,676

Ephemeral pond 98

Lacustrine 132

Wetland 83

Wet meadow 1,754

Riparian Shrub 35

Conifer 1

Cliff/Talus 485

Agriculture 275

Conservation Reserve (CRP) 2,396

Farmstead 65

TOTAL 20,000

Shrubsteppe

More Shrubsteppe

Yep, Looks Like Grass to Me!

“A little more to the left”

I’ve got hay fever!

Wet Meadow/Vernal Pool

Riparian Shrub -Deciduous Forest

If you think I’m

going in there..

Wetlands

Lacustrine

In Contrast……….

Sharp-tailed Grouse Acquisition Cover Types

…and other shrubsteppe obligate species

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTSMAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

18,000 shrubs/trees planted

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTSMAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

243 ha of agricultural land converted to native-like grassland

Grass/Shrub Plantings

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTSMAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

16 ha Food Plots

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTSMAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

93 km of Fence

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTSMAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

MONITORING & EVALUATION

HEP/VEGETATION BASELINE TRANSECTS - 1992

CONDUCTED WILDLIFE SURVEYS

MONITORING & EVALUATION

Replicated HEP transects-2000

Established vegetation transects using M&E protocols

Monitored sharp-tailed grouse leks and neo-tropical birds etc.

Grassland fertilizer trials

M&E RESULTS – VOR M&E RESULTS – VOR

Null hypothesis (Ho): VOR measurements observed

in 1992 and 2000 are equal

Alternative hypothesis 1 (HA1): VOR measurements

observed in 1992 are greater than VOR measurements recorded in 2000;

Alternate hypothesis 2 (HA2): VOR measurements

observed in 1992 are less than VOR measurements recorded in 2000.

0.20

0.38

0.55

0.73

0.90

1992 2000

HEPRU1 Box Plot

Transect

VOR

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

1992 2000

HEPFI1 Box Plot

Transects

VOR

Grassland VOR Results Example

No Disturbance

Disturbed

0.0

3.8

7.5

11.3

15.0

0.4 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.7

HEPRU1 - 1992

VOR (dm)

Number of Sam

ples

0.0

3.5

7.0

10.5

14.0

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.9

HEPRU1 - 2000

VOR (dm)

Num

ber of Sam

ples

0.20

0.38

0.55

0.73

0.90

1992 2000

HEPRU1 Box Plot

Transect

VOR

0.0

3.0

6.0

9.0

12.0

0.1 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.7

Histogram of C2

C2

Count

0.0

3.0

6.0

9.0

12.0

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

Histogram of C1

C1

Count

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

1992 2000

HEPFI1 Box Plot

Transects

VOR

1992 2000

VOR VOR

-0.50

0.13

0.75

1.38

2.00

C1 C2

Box Plot

Variables

Am

ount

TSS

SHRUBLAND VOR RESULTS

vn1

VN1-TSS(not disturbed)

0.20

0.45

0.70

0.95

1.20

C1 C2

Box Plot

Variables

Am

ount

0.00

0.35

0.70

1.05

1.40

C1 C2

Box Plot

Variables

Am

ount

NE1-TSS(disturbed)

TR1-TSS(not disturbed)

19921992

19922000

2000

2000

0.00

0.63

1.25

1.88

2.50

C1 C2

Box Plot

Variables

Am

ount

0.0

6.3

12.5

18.8

25.0

0.4 0.7 0.9 1.2 1.4

Histogram of C1

C1

Count

0.0

6.3

12.5

18.8

25.0

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5

Histogram of C2

C2C

ount

S71-USS

1992

19922000

2000

High Power

Low Power

RANGE FERTILIZER TRIALS

WILDLIFE MONITORINGWILDLIFE MONITORING

Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek Counts

0

50

100

150

200

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year

No

. G

rou

se Dyre Hill

CCT

Okanogan

SLWA

Shrubsteppe Bird SurveysHunter Harvest Surveys

Waterfowl SurveysDeer SurveysSage Grouse Surveys

REGIONAL & SUB-BASIN GOALS

FUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKSFUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKS

1. INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SHARP-TAILED GROUSE TO 400 BY 2010.

Augment existing population

Monitor and control recreational use of project lands.

FUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKSFUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKS

2. Implement the SLWA Management Plan.Control introduced vegetationMaintain shrub and tree enhancementsMaintain boundary fenceConstruct new fence as neededMaintain equipment/infrastructure etc.

Maintain sharp-tailed and sage grouse nesting habitat.

FUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKSFUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKS

-Monitor leks-Search for new leks-Conduct sharp-tailed grouse nesting and brood rearing surveys

3. Conduct sharp-tailed grouse research….in conjunction with WDFW statewide efforts.

FUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKSFUTURE OBJECTIVES AND TASKS

4. Monitor wildlife and habitat response to protection, enhancement, and maintenance measures annually.Conduct HEP and vegetation transects and establish photo points.

Monitor big game, sage grouse, waterfowl, and neo-tropical birds populations/hunter harvest.

SUB-BASIN NEEDS AND LIMITING SUB-BASIN NEEDS AND LIMITING FACTORSFACTORSThe Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area and the Sharp-tailed Grouse Habitat Acquisition proposals address the following major sub-basin needs and limiting factors:

1. Declining shrubsteppe habitat quality and quantity and subsequent impacts on obligate species. 2. Shrubsteppe habitat fragmentation3. Loss of deep soils plant communities.4. Alteration of the plant community due to weeds, grazing, and wildfire.

IN CLOSING……….IN CLOSING……….

SWANSON LAKES WILDLIFE AREA

Project 199106100 Acquire Sharp-tailed Grouse Habitat at the SLWA Project 25001

REQUESTED FUNDINGREQUESTED FUNDING

Swanson Lakes WA

2002: $296,238

2003: $290,137

2004: $265,137

SHGR Acquisition

2002: $237,053

2003: $32,900

2004: $5,000

THANK YOU