(Pekania Pennanti) Restoration in Olympic National Park and the Olympic Recovery Area 2014 Annual Progress Report
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Evaluation of Fisher (Pekania pennanti) Restoration in Olympic National Park and the Olympic Recovery Area 2014 Annual Progress Report Natural Resource Data Series NPS/OLYM/NRDS—2015/804 ON THE COVER Fisher visiting remote camera station in Olympic National Forest, National Park Service. Photograph courtesy of the National Park Service. Evaluation of Fisher (Pekania pennanti) Restoration in Olympic National Park and the Olympic Recovery Area 2014 Annual Progress Report Natural Resource Data Series NPS/OLYM/NRDS—2015/804 Patricia J. Happe1, Kurt J. Jenkins2, Thomas J. Kay1, Kristy Pilgrim3, Michael K. Schwartz3, Jeffrey C. Lewis4, Keith B. Aubry5 1National Park Service 3U.S. Forest Service Olympic National Park Rocky Mountain Research Station 600 East Park Avenue 800 Block East Beckwith Port Angeles, WA 98362 Missoula, MT 59801 2 U.S. Geological Survey 4Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center 600 Capital Way N. 600 East Park Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 Port Angeles, WA 98362 5U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 3625 93rd Ave. SW Olympia, WA 98512 June 2015 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Data Series is intended for the timely release of basic data sets and data summaries. Care has been taken to assure accuracy of raw data values, but a thorough analysis and interpretation of the data has not been completed. Consequently, the initial analyses of data in this report are provisional and subject to change. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. This report received formal peer review by subject- matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. This paper has been peer reviewed and approved for publication consistent with USGS Fundamental Science practices (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1367/). Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from the Olympic National Park website (http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Happe, P. J., K. J. Jenkins, T. J. Kay, K. Pilgrim, M. K. Schwartz, J. C. Lewis, and K. B. Aubry. 2015. Evaluation of fisher (Pekania pennanti) restoration in Olympic National Park and the Olympic Recovery Area: 2014 annual progress report. Natural Resource Data Series NPS/OLYM/NRDS— 2015/804. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 149/128760, June 2015 ii Contents Page Figures................................................................................................................................................... iv Tables ..................................................................................................................................................... v Conversion Factors ............................................................................................................................... vi Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................................................viii Background and Study Objectives ......................................................................................................... 1 Research Accomplishments, 2014 ......................................................................................................... 2 Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Sampling Effort .............................................................................................................................. 6 Fisher Detections .......................................................................................................................... 10 Remote Cameras ...................................................................................................................... 10 DNA Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 11 Other Species Detected ................................................................................................................. 12 Other Fisher Detections ................................................................................................................ 14 Follow-up on 2013 results that were not resolved in the 2013 annual report: ........................ 17 Plans for 2015 ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Publications and Public Outreach Activities (2014) ............................................................................ 18 Reports: ................................................................................................................................... 18 Presentations: ........................................................................................................................... 18 Funding (2014) ..................................................................................................................................... 19 References Cited .................................................................................................................................. 20 Appendix A. Founders detected in 2014 .............................................................................................. 21 Appendix B. Parentage of recruits identified by DNA in 2014 in the occupancy study and incidental detections. ............................................................................................................................ 24 Appendix C. National Park Service necropsy reports .......................................................................... 29 iii Figures Page Figure 1. Sampling frame depicting 24-km2 hexagons where fisher occupancy and genetic characteristics are being sampled on the Olympic Peninsula. ................................................... 3 Figure 2. Example of locations of stations in a hex. Fishers were detected in this hex in 2014........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Figure 3. Members of a field crew setting up a station within Olympic National Park (Hex 239). .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Figure 4. Location the 2014 sample frame and hexes sampled in 2014 (check marks) by primary landowner. ................................................................................................................................ 7 Figure 5. Location of fisher detections (stars) by cameras in hexes sampled in 2014 (white dots). ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 6. Location (pink dots) and number of station/visits events (scaled by dot size) of Virginia opossum detections collected in 2014. .................................................................................. 14 Figure 7. Location of incidental fisher detections on the Olympic Peninsula, 2014. ......................... 16 Figure 8. Location of all fisher detections on the Olympic Peninsula, 2014, including fishers not detected in the project. ....................................................................................................... 17 Figure A1. Release location (purple star) and movements of M082 from his release in 2010 through September 2011. ...........................................................................................................