Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan Acknowledgements Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Staff
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
August 2018 Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan Acknowledgements Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Staff Planning Team Members Plan Leadership and Content Development Ron Fox, Wildlife Area Manager Ron Fox, Chelan Wildlife Area Manager Rich Finger, Region Two Lands Operation Manager Lauri Vigue, Lead Lands Planner Graham Simon, Habitat Biologist Melinda Posner, Wildlife Area Planning, David Volsen, District Wildlife Biologist Recreation and Outreach Section Manager Travis Maitland, Fish District Biologist Cynthia Wilkerson, Lands Division Manager Eric Oswald, Enforcement Document Production Dan Klump, Enforcement Peggy Ushakoff, Public Affairs Mark Teske, Environmental Planner Michelle Dunlop, Public Affairs Rod Pfeifle, Forester Matthew Trenda, Wildlife Program Administration Mapping Support John Talmadge, GIS Shelly Snyder, GIS Chelan Wildlife Area Advisory Committee Roster Name Organization City Bill Stegeman Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Association Wenatchee Sam Lain Upland Bird Hunter Chelan Graham Grant Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Wenatchee Jason Lundgren Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group Wenatchee Dan Smith North Cascades Washington Audubon Chelan Von Pope Chelan Public Utilities District Wenatchee Erik Ellis Bureau of Land Management Wenatchee Ana Cerro-Timpone Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Entiat Paul Willard Lake Chelan Trails Alliance/Evergreen Bike Alliance Mason Cover Photos: Chelan Butte Unit by Justin Haug, bighorn sheep rams by Beau Patterson, Beebe Springs western meadowlark by Alan Bauer and Bighorns in the Swakane by Justin Haug 2 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Chelan Wildlife Area Kelly Susewind, Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan August 2018 Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents . 4 List of Acronyms & Abbreviations . 6 Part 1 - Wildlife Area Planning Overview . 8 Introduction . 8 Welcome to the Chelan Wildlife Area . 10 Introduction to the Chelan Wildlife Area . 10 Success Stories . 11 Wildlife Area Description. 16 Location and General Description . 16 Beebe Springs Unit. 19 Cashmere Pond Unit . 22 Chelan Butte Unit . 25 Entiat Unit . 28 Pateros Unit . 31 Swakane Unit . 34 White River Unit . 37 Part II – Wildlife Area Management and Planning . 40 Land Ownership and Management. 40 Acquisition History, Funding and Purpose . .40 Leases . .40 Easements . 41 Water rights . 41 Management Setting . 42 Administration and Staffing . 42 Facilities and Maintenance . 42 Road Management . 44 Local Land Use Compliance . 45 Cultural Resources . 45 Enforcement . .46 Stewardship and Volunteerism . 47 Recreation . 47 Research and Other Studies . 50 Wildlife Area Goals, Objectives, & Monitoring . 52 4 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Part III - Species and Habitat Management . .68 Physical Characteristics . 68 Geology and Soils. 68 Hydrology and Watersheds . .69 Climate. 70 Ecological Values. 71 Habitat Connectivity . 71 Species Management . 75 Game Species Overview & Management . 79 Diversity Species Overview & Management . 85 Fish Species Overview . 91 Fish Species Management. 99 Habitat Management . 100 Forest Management . 100 Weed Management. 103 Habitat Restoration . 105 Climate Change Approach. 110 References and Appendices . 116 Appendices . 116 Appendix A. Species and Habitat Information . .117 Appendix B. Weed Management Plan . 124 Appendix C. Fire Response . 128 Appendix D. Cultural Resource Summary . 131 Appendix E. Public Response Summary . 132 Appendix F. Research and Other Studies. 140 Appendix G. Forest Management Plan . 141 Appendix H. Water Access Summary . 152 Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan 5 List of Acronyms & Abbreviations BLM Bureau of Land Management DAHP Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation DNR Washington State Department of Natural Resources DPS Distinct Population Segment EIA Ecological Integrity Assessment EIM Ecological Integrity Monitoring ESA Endangered Species Act ESU Evolutionary Significant Unit FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission IPM Integrated Pest Management NRCS National Resources Conservation Service PHS Priority Habitats and Species PUD Chelan County Public Utility District RCW Revised Code of Washington RCO Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office SEPA State Environmental Policy Act SGCN Species of Greatest Conservation Need SRFB Salmon Recovery Funding Board SWAP State Wildlife Action Plan USFS United States Forest Service USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife 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 WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation WWRP Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program 6 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Chelan Butte Unit Photo by Justin Haug Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan 7 Wildlife Area Management Planning Overview Introduction Purpose of the Plan Under state law, the Washington State Department The purpose of this management plan is to guide all of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is charged with management activities occurring on the Chelan Wildlife “preserving, protecting, and perpetuating” the Area for the next 10 years. Management goals, objectives state’s fish and wildlife species, while also providing and performance measures are defined in the plan. All were sustainable recreational opportunities that are developed to be consistent with WDFW’s mission, strategic compatible with fish and wildlife stewardship. Today, plan, and requirements associated with the funds used to WDFW owns and manages just over one million purchase the wildlife areas. The plan provides a clear vision acres on 33 wildlife areas across Washington, whose of how these lands are managed to a variety of audiences, diversity includes nearly all species and habitats including WDFW staff and the public. present in the state. With the loss of natural habitat posing the single greatest threat to native fish and Statewide Planning Goals wildlife, these areas play a critical conservation role. A complete list of goals, objectives, and performance The wildlife area management plan addresses all measures specific to this wildlife area are found in on page 9. aspects of resource management and aligns with statewide conservation goals. The Chelan Wildlife Area Management Plan was Statewide Wildlife Area Vision developed by an interdisciplinary team of WDFW Wildlife areas inspire and engage the citizens of Washington staff with significant public involvement. This to care for our rich diversity of fish, wildlife and habitat. included input from the local stakeholder-based Management of these lands: Chelan Wildlife Area Advisory Committee (WAAC), • Contributes to fish and wildlife conservation; input from other public agencies, and input from other interested citizens gathered from two public meetings. • Provides opportunities for fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor recreation; and Wildlife Area Management • Supports public values of open space, health and well- Planning Framework being, economic vitality and community character. Management of these areas is directed by WDFW’s mission and strategic plan, as well as by state and Public Outreach and Stakeholder Involvement Process federal laws. Each new plan is guided by the Wildlife Area Management Planning Framework The agency is committed to a transparent and inclusive public (Framework), which summarizes the agency’s mission, outreach process for all wildlife area management plans. laws, policies and approaches to management of fish Under the umbrella of the statewide goals listed above, a and wildlife, as well as public use and recreation. customized outreach strategy was developed for this area, one The framework summarizes priorities and guidance tailored to local and regional stakeholders, as well as local developed in each of the agency’s programs – Fish, and out of the area visitors and user groups. For this plan, the Wildlife, Habitat, and Enforcement. Readers are public process included three elements: 1) public and advisory encouraged to review the framework in advance, committee meetings; 2) development and distribution of or as a companion document to this wildlife area fact sheets, meeting announcements, and news releases; plan (http://wdfw.wa.gov/ lands/wildlife_areas/ and 3) solicitation of public comments through phone, management_plans/). The framework provides email, and the WDFW website. A complete summary of context for the organization and content of wildlife the public outreach activities is included in Appendix H, area plans across the state. The WDFW’s planning Public Response Summary, located on the WDFW website framework is a living document, and is updated at https://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/management_ periodically to reflect new agency initiatives, guidance plans/chelan/. or directives. 8 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Statewide Planning Goals Goal 1 Restore and protect the integrity of priority ecological systems and sites. This goal originates from the WDFW Strategic Plan, Goal #1. “Conserve and protect native fish and wildlife”. Ecological integrity monitoring on priority sites will be developed as part of implementation of the management plan for each individual wildlife area plan discussed on page 52. Goal 2 Sustain individual species through habitat and