Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan Acknowledgements Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Staff
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April 2017 Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan Acknowledgements Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Staff Planning Team Members Plan Leadership and Content Development Justin Haug Sara Hanson Jim Olson, Scotch Creek Wildlife Area Manager Jim Olson Jeff Heinlen Justin Haug, Sinlahekin Wildlife Area Manager Daniel Christensen Connie Iten Jeanne Demorest, Lands Planner Michael Dehart Jamie Bass Lauri Vigue, Lands Planner Bryan Dupont Dale Swedberg Melinda Posner, Wildlife Area Planning Section Manager Scott Fitkin Mark Teske Clay Sprague, Lands Division Manager Ryan Fortier Nathan Wehmeyer Document Production Mapping Support Michelle Dunlop, Public Affairs John Talmadge, GIS Peggy Ushakoff, Public Affairs Shelly Snyder, GIS Matthew Trenda, Wildlife Program Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Advisory Committee Roster, March 2017 Name Organization City Tim Vugteveen Department of Natural Resources Oroville Carolyn Davis Okanogan Economic Alliance Omak Julie Alley Tonasket Chamber of Commerce Tonasket Greg Bennett Okanogan Fly Club Omak Anna Lyon Okanogan County Noxious Weed Office Okanogan Char Schumacher Okanogan County Planning Okanogan Jerry Barnes Okanogan County Cattleman’s Association Loomis Dick Finch Okanogan Wildlife Council Omak Joe Berney Neighbor Okanogan Kelly McDonald Neighbor / Agriculture Lessee Tonasket Dave Sunde Backcountry Horseman of Washington Tonasket Heather Findlay North Central Washington Audubon Society Okanogan Jerry DeBacker Okanogan Land Trust Okanogan Craig Nelson Okanogan Conservation District Okanogan Will Keller Natural Resources Conservation Service Okanogan Matt Marsh U.S. Forest Service Tonasket Mark Williams Bureau of Land Management Wenatchee Rick Lind Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Tonasket Tom Windsor North Central ATV Club of Washington Omak Jeff Hardesty Oroville Superindendent Oroville Cover Photos: Similkameen-Chopaka Unit of Scotch Creek WLA, monarch butterfly and white-tailed deer by Justin Haug 2 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Scotch Creek & Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Jim Unsworth, Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan April 2017 Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan 3 Table of Contents List of Acronyms & Abbreviations 7 Wildlife Area Management Planning Overview 9 Introduction 9 Wildlife Area Management Planning Framework 9 Purpose 9 Public Outreach and Stakeholder Involvement Process 9 Vision 9 Statewide Planning Goals 9 Success Stories 11 Wildlife Areas Overview 17 Property Location and Size 17 Scotch Creek Wildlife Area 19 Sinlahekin Wildlife Area 41 Geology and Soils 64 Hydrology and Watersheds 65 Resource Management 66 Species Management 71 Fish Species 82 Habitat Management 86 Ecological Systems and Ecological Integrity 87 Habitat Connectivity 89 Forest Management 90 Fire History and Management 92 Rare Plants 94 Weed Management 94 Restoration 95 Cultural Resources 95 Climate 96 Current Climate 96 Climate Change 96 Research and Other Studies 99 Recreation and Public Use 99 Road Management 103 4 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Land Ownership and Management 104 Acquisition History, Funding and Purpose 104 Encumbrances and Deed Restrictions 105 Easements 105 Water Rights 105 Managing Lands on Behalf of Other Entities 105 Other Entities Operating on WDFW Lands 105 Local Land Use Plans 106 Administration and Staffing 107 Enforcement 107 Facilities and Maintenance 107 Management Direction and Approach 108 Management Goals, Objectives and Performance Measures 108 Adaptive Management/Monitoring 108 References 109 Appendices 111 A Goals, Objectives & Performance Measures 112 B Research and Other Studies 123 C Rare Plants on the Sinlahekin WLA 124 D Weed Management Plan 125 E Species and Habitat Information 129 F Fire Management 131 G Cultural Resources Summary 136 H Water Access Sites 146 I Summary of Public Process 153 Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan 5 Figures 1. Okanogan River Stramflow Data 2016 (USGS) 2. Scotch Creek and Chesaw Sharp-tailed Grouse Populations Tables 1. State and Federal Conservation Status, WDFW Priority Habitats and Species (PHS) and SGCN Criteria and Priority Areas that may occur on the wildlife area units 2. Summary of non-salmonid presence on the WLAs 3. Ecological Systems of Concern Summary for Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife AreasEcological System of Concern 4. Wildfires with Significant Impact on Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas 5. Key impacts of climate change, potential management actions and information gaps for forest habitats 6. Key impacts of climate change, potential management actions and information gaps for grassland and shrubland habitats 7. Vulnerability Assessment Information for Key Species 8. Potential Climate Impacts, Effect on Habitat and Management Actions 9. Recreational Opportunities on Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas 10. Grazing and Agricultural Leases Summary for each unit 11. Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Area Units and Regulatory Designations 12. Appendix A Goals, Objectives and Performance Measures 13. Appendix B Research and other studies 14. Appendix C Rare Plants on the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area 15. Appendix D Weed Class and Unit Location 16. Appendix E Species of Greatest Conservation Need Relationship with Ecological Systems of Concern 17. Appendix H Water Access Sites in Eastern Okanogan County 18. Appendix I WDFW response to public comments received during SEPA process 6 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife List of Acronyms & Abbreviations BLM Bureau of Land Management BPA Bonneville Power Administration DAHP Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation DNR Washington State Department of Natural Resources EIA Ecological Integrity Assessment EIM Ecological Integrity Monitoring ESA Endangered Species Act IPM Integrated Pest Management NEWICC Northeast Washington Interagency Communications Center PHS Priority Habitats and Species RCW Revised Code of Washington RCO Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office SEPA State Environmental Policy Act SERP Sinlahekin Ecosystem Restoration Project SGCN Species of Greatest Conservation Need SRFB Salmon Recovery Funding Board SWAP State Wildlife Action Plan TNC The Nature Conservancy USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USFS United States Forest Service WAC Washington Administrative Code WA AC Wildlife Area Advisory Committee WDFW Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife WLA Wildlife Area WHCWG Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group WWRP Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan 7 Fleabane and Silky Lupine on Carter Mountain Unit Photo by Justin Haug 8 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Area Management Planning Overview Introduction Purpose Under state law, the Washington Department of Fish and The purpose of this management plan is to guide management Wildlife (WDFW) is charged with “preserving, protecting activities occurring on the Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin and perpetuating” the state’s fish and wildlife species, wildlife areas for the next 10 years. Management goals, while also providing sustainable recreational opportunities objectives and performance measures are defined in Appendix that are compatible with fish and wildlife stewardship. A. These were developed to be consistent with WDFW’s As of 2017, WDFW owns or manages nearly one million mission, strategic plan and requirements associated with the acres in 33 wildlife areas across the state, whose diversity funds used to purchase the wildlife areas. The plan is intended includes nearly all species and habitats present in the state. to provide a clear vision of how these lands are managed for a With the loss of natural habitat posing the single greatest variety of audiences, including WDFW staff and the public. threat to native fish and wildlife, these areas play a critical conservation role. The wildlife area management plan Public Outreach and Stakeholder addresses all aspects of resource management, and aligns Involvement Process with statewide conservation goals. The agency is committed to a transparent and inclusive public The Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas outreach process for all wildlife area management plans. Under Management Plan was developed by an interdisciplinary the umbrella of the statewide goals listed below, a customized team of WDFW staff and with significant public outreach strategy was developed for these areas, tailored to involvement. This included input from the local local and regional stakeholders, as well as local and out of stakeholder-based Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife town visitors and user groups. For this plan, the public process Area Advisory Committee (WAAC), input from included three elements: 1) public and advisory committee Okanogan County and other public agencies, and input meetings; 2) development and distribution of fact sheets, from other interested citizens gathered from two public meeting announcements and news releases; and, 3) solicitation meetings. of public comments through phone, email and the WDFW website. A complete summary of the public outreach activities Wildlife Area Management Planning is included in Appendix I. Framework Management of these areas is guided by WDFW’s Vision mission and strategic plan, as well as by state and federal Instead of one overall vision, WDFW has a vision for each of laws.