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Summer Lake Wildlife Area Management Plan

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Summer Lake Wildlife Area Management Plan SUMMER LAKE WILDLIFE AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN October 2007 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, Oregon 97303 Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 4 Purpose of the Plan ..................................................................................................... 4 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Mission and Authority ................................... 4 Purpose and Need of Summer Lake Wildlife Area ...................................................... 4 Wildlife Area Goals and Objectives ............................................................................. 6 Wildlife Area Establishment ......................................................................................... 7 Description and Environment ...................................................................................... 8 Physical Resources ................................................................................................... 8 Location ................................................................................................................... 8 Climate ..................................................................................................................... 8 Topography and Soils .............................................................................................. 8 Habitat Types ......................................................................................................... 10 Description of Management Units .......................................................................... 17 Biological Resources .............................................................................................. 18 Birds ....................................................................................................................... 20 Mammals ............................................................................................................... 24 Amphibians and Reptiles ....................................................................................... 25 Fish ........................................................................................................................ 26 Species of Conservation Concern .......................................................................... 27 Non-Native Species ............................................................................................... 28 Monitoring ………………………………………………………………………………...29 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................. 31 Social Environment ................................................................................................. 32 Demographics ........................................................................................................ 32 Land Use ................................................................................................................ 32 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................... 33 Developments/Facilities ............................................................................................. 33 Water Rights ............................................................................................................ 34 Easements/Access Agreements ................................................................................ 34 Land Acquisition and Adjustment ............................................................................. 36 Public Use .................................................................................................................... 36 Public Access ............................................................................................................ 36 Hunting, Trapping, and Angling ................................................................................. 36 Non-consumptive ....................................................................................................... 38 Educational/Interpretive ............................................................................................. 39 Objectives and Strategies .......................................................................................... 39 Plan Implementation ................................................................................................... 56 Funding ……………………………………………………………………………………...56 Staffing / Organization ............................................................................................... 57 Compliance Requirements ........................................................................................ 57 Partnerships ………………………………………………………………………………...57 Adaptive Management ............................................................................................... 57 Plan Amendment and Revision ................................................................................. 57 References ................................................................................................................... 59 ii Appendices . ................................................................................................................ 60 Appendix A. Land Acquisitions and Adjustments Involving Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Appendix B. Wildlife Species Known to Occur on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Appendix C. Plant Species Known to Occur on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Appendix D. Water Rights on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Appendix E. Easements and Access Agreements on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Appendix F. Legal Obligations Influencing Management of Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Appendix G. Description of Summer Lake Wildlife Area Habitat Management Units. List of Figures Figure 1. Summer Lake Wildlife Area Features and Ownership. Figure 2. Habitat Types within Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Figure 3. Land Uses Surrounding Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Figure 4. Summer Lake Wildlife Area Habitat Management Units. List of Tables Table 1. Habitat Composition on the Summer Lake Wildlife Area in 2006. Table 2. Federal and State Listed Endangered, Threatened, Candidate and Species of Concern animals and plants potentially present on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Table 3. Noxious Weeds Found on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Table 4. Facilities and Developments on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Table 5. Estimated Annual Hunting, Trapping, and Angling Use Days on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Table 6. Estimated Annual Non-consumptive Use Days on Summer Lake Wildlife Area. iii Executive Summary Purpose of the Plan This plan will guide management of Summer Lake Wildlife Area (SLWA) for the next 10 years. Purposes of this plan are: To provide clear direction for management of SLWA; To provide long-term continuity in wildlife area management; To communicate the Department’s management priorities for SLWA to its neighbors, visitors, and the public; To ensure management programs on SLWA are consistent with the original mandate and purpose of the area set when first established; To ensure management of SLWA is consistent with Federal, State, and local natural resource plans, To ensure management activities address conservation priorities and recommendations described in the 2006 Oregon Conservation Strategy, and; To provide a basis for budget requests to support SLWA needs for staffing, operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Historical Background Following droughts in the 1930s that affected most of North America, major conservation efforts both private and governmental were enacted to reverse trends of degrading and disappearing wetlands. During this time period there was a major creation and expansion of Federal refuges and State wildlife areas. As the concept of waterfowl flyway management was endorsed and developed, wildlife areas were acquired and managed as part of a larger plan focused on migratory waterfowl needs. SLWA was the first of several wetland-focused wildlife areas established in Oregon. Summer Lake Wildlife Area was established in 1944, with primary objectives of protecting and improving waterfowl habitat and providing a public hunting area. The wildlife area is located in central Lake County along State Highway 31, 100 miles southeast of Bend and 75 miles northwest of Lakeview. The wildlife area is 18,941 acres in size at present. Summer Lake Wildlife Area is located in the Northern Great Basin and has a significant land base well suited to support indigenous fish and wildlife species and migratory waterbirds. Wetlands and associated uplands provide habitat for a diverse array of wildlife species. Habitat types found on SLWA are of quality and quantity to make a significant contribution to wildlife and migratory waterfowl in this portion of the state. SLWA is a popular destination for hunting, wildlife viewing and environmental education due to its geographic setting, the abundance of wildlife present and species diversity. 1 Planning Approach This plan revises the original long range plan for SLWA initially adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) in 1993. The 1993 plan focused on habitat goals, objectives and strategies developed to meet specific wildlife abundance targets. However, ultimately these wildlife abundance targets were sometimes not attainable due to changes
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