Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge Kenmare, North Dakota Annual
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Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge Kenmare, North Dakota Annual Narrative Report Calendar Year 1995-1996 REVIEW AND APPROVALS LOSTWOOD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Kenmare, North Dakota ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Years 1995-1996 Refuge Operations Date Project Leader Date Specialist 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 A. HIGHLIGHTS 2 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 3 C. LAND ACQUISITION Nothing to Report D. PLANNING 4 1. Master Plan 4 2. Management Plan 4 3. Public Participation 4 4- Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates 5 5. Research and Investigations 5 E. ADMINISTRATION 6 1. Personnel 6 2. Youth Program 10 3. Other Manpower Programs Nothing to Report 4- Volunteer Program 10 5. Funding 11 6. Safety 13 7. Technical Assistance 13 8. Other 14 a. Training and Meetings 14 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 16 1. General 16 2. Wetlands 17 3. Forests Nothing to Report 4. Croplands 18 5. Grasslands 21 7. Grazing 21 8. Having 27 9. Fire Management 28 a. 1995 and 1996 Prescribed burns 28 b. Research & Monitoring Results on Prescribed Burn Areas 30 10. Pest Control 39 11. Water Rights Nothing to Report ii G. WILDLIFE 44 1. Wildlife Diversity 44 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 44 a. Piping Plover 44 b. Whooping Cranes 52 3. Waterfowl 52 a. Ducks 52 b. Geese 55 4- Marsh and Water Birds Nothing to Report 5. Shorehirds, Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species Nothing to Report 6. Raptors 55 7. Other Migratory Birds Nothing to Report 8. Game Mammals ; Nothing to Report 10. Other Resident Wildlife 55 a. Sharp-tailed Grouse 55 b. Other Resident Wildlife 59 16. Marking and Banding Nothing to Report 17. Disease Prevention and Control Nothing to Report H. PUBLIC USE 59 1. General 59 2. Outdoor Classroom 59 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations Nothing to Report 8. Hunting 59 10. Trapping Nothing to Report 11. Wildlife Observation 60 12. Other Wildlife-Oriented Recreation 60 14- Picnicking Nothing to Report 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 17. Law Enforcement Nothing to Report L EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 61 1. New Construction 61 2. Rehabilitation 61 3. Major Maintenance Nothing to Report 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement Nothing to Report 5. Communication Systems Nothing to Report 6. Computer Systems Nothing to Report J. OTHER ITEMS 62 1. Cooperative Programs 62 3. Items of Interest 62 4. Credits 63 iii INTRODUCTION The 26,900--acre Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge (Lostwood NWR) lies in northwestern North Dakota, 23 miles south of Canada and 70 miles east of Montana. It was established in 1935 by Executive Order 7171 as a "...refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife..." within Burke and Mountrail Counties on the Coteau du Missouri, a dead ice moraine feature left by the Wisconsin glacier about 10,000 years ago. Refuge topography is rolling to steep hills covered with native (70%) and tame (30%) grasslands, small clumps of quaking aspen (about 2% of the refuge), and numerous wetlands. This is the largest contiguous block of native grassland under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ownership in the pothole region of Minnesota, Montana, and North and South Dakota. The hills are mostly covered with western snowberry, needle-and-thread, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, blue grama, plains muhly, small-flowered aster, northern bedstraw, goldenrod, wild licorice, meadow anemone, white sage and others. Native resident fauna include sharp-tailed grouse, white-tailed deer, badger, coyote, and white-tailed jackrabbit. Native migratory fauna include waterfowl (mallard, wigeon, gadwall, blue-winged teal, giant Canada goose and others), shorebirds (upland sandpiper, marbled godwit, avocet, piping plover, and others), passerines (clay-colored sparrow, Sprague's pipit, grasshopper sparrow, Baird's sparrow and others), and raptors (red-tailed hawk, Swainson's hawk, northern harrier, great horned owl, short-eared owl and others). The mixed grass prairie community is currently being renovated and maintained mainly by prescribed burning. Public use facilities on the refuge include a self-guided auto route, hiking trail, and a photo blind on a sharp-tailed grouse lek. Birding, photography, and hunting for grouse, gray partridge, ring-necked pheasant and deer are the main public use activities. In 1975, the 5577-acre Lostwood Wilderness Area was established by P.L. 93-632, 12, Section 1 (d) (12). On 1 July 1973, Lostwood NWR, staffed with a resident manager and one maintenance personnel, was placed under the administration of the Des Lacs Complex, headquartered at Des Lacs NWR in Kenmare, North Dakota. I A.. HIGHLIGHTS The Comprehensive Conservation Plan process began in April of 1995. A Compatibility Determination for horseback riding was completed in 1995, and found compatible on Lower Lostwood (south of State Highway #50) from 1 August to the day before sharp-tailed grouse hunting season begins (middle of September). On September 18-21, 1995, a Region 6 National Wildlife Refuge workshop was held in Minot North Dakota entitled "Grassland Ecology and Ecosystem Management Workshop Series, Part II: Interactions with Fire." On Tuesday, September 19, the Lostwood NWR staff presented how Lostwood has used the Adaptive Resource Management approach in the prescribed bum program. Piping plover management continues to intensify by using new, innovative techniques to improve reproductive success. Whooping cranes visit Lostwood NWR, at refuge headquarters, just like any visitor should when they first arrive. Duck pair numbers are finally returning to normal after several years of drought. Upland nesting passerines and shorebirds continue to increase on areas with several prescribed bums. 2 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS Tables 1 and 2 present the temperature and precipitation averages throughout years 1995 and 1996, and compared to 45- and Sd-year averages. Table 1. Monthly temperatures during 1995, and dO-year monthly average (1931-60). Monthly precipitation during 1995, and 45-year and 54-year average precipitation, Lostwood NWR. Temperature (T) 1995a Precipitation (in.) Ave. Ave. Ram 45-yr 54-yr Month Max. max. Min. min. and melt ave.b ave.c Jan 4 15 -19 -4 2.55* 0.43 0.55 Feb 43 20 -17 0 2.12* 0.52 0.51 Mar 58 39 -21 18 1.14* 0.58 0.63 Apr* 74 56 18 27 0.87 1.32 1.28 May 83 69 31 40 2.44 2.04 2.02 Jun 95 70 33 46 2.38 3.55 3.32 Jul 92 73 42 50 ' 2.81 2.29 2.36 Aug 99 75 44 52 ' 0.84 2.05 1.94 Sep 91 65 20 40 2.07 1.90 1.87 Oct 79 54 16 28 1.15 0.91 1.01 Nov 48 32 -4 15 0.83* 0.51 0.53 Dec 39 26 -27 9 1.96* 0.50 0.48 Totals 21.16 16.60 16.50 a Temperatures and precipitation from Des Lacs NWR weather station identified with an averages are from Lostwood NWR. b Precipitation average from 1936-80. c Precipitation average from 1936-89 (includes drought years). On May 13, 1995, a snow storm hit, dumping 4 inches of very wet, slippery snow, making spring driving winter driving. 3 Table 2. Monthly temperatures during 1996, and 30--year monthly average (1931-60). Monthly precipitation during 1996, and 45-year and 54-year average precipitation, Lostwood NWR. Temperature (0F) 1996a Precipitation (in.) Ave. Ave. Rain 45-yr 54-yr Month Max. max. Min. min. and melt ave.b ave.c Jan 43 8 -39 -9 2.00* 0.43 0.55 Feb 45 12 -39 -7 1.00* 0.52 0.51 Mar 55 41 -22 22 2.07* 0.58 0.63 Apr* 70 55 -1 29 0.89 1.32 1.28 May 71 71 27 43 0.92 2.04 2.02 ]un 96 73 38 50 2.19 3.55 3.32 Jul 89 79 42 52 4.18 2.29 2.36 Aug 91 80 43 51 0.80 2.05 1.94 Sep 88 76 29 45 1.78 1.90 1.87 Oct 75 57 8 36 0.56 0.91 . 1.01 Nov 53 32 -20 15 1.30* 0.51 0.53 Dec 34 27 -31 8 0.87* 0.50 0.48 Totals 18.56 16.60 16.50 a Temperatures and precipitation from Des Lacs NWR weather station identified with an averages are from Lostwood NWR records. b Precipitation average from 1936-80. c Precipitation average rom 1936-89 (includes drought years). On October 20-21, a 10-inch snowfall occurred, leaving behind snowdrifts deep enough to last all winter. In early November, another 15 inches fell. The 1996-97 winter proved to be a cold one, but more information on that will be forthcoming in the 1997-1998 narrative. D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan Comprehensive Conservation Planning began in April of 1995 by means of discussions with the Regional Office (RO), but writing did not begin until October of 1996, with the first draft submitted to the Des Lacs Complex Project Leader in December of 1996. 2. Management Plan A five-year Pesticide Plan was completed in March of 1995. 4 The Complex Fire Management Plan was completed by Assist. Project Leader, Severson, at the end of 1995 and approved by the Regional Office in 1996. 4- Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates A Compatibility Determination for horseback riding was completed in 1995, and found compatible on Lower Lostwood (south of State Highway #50) from August 1 to the day before sharp-tailed grouse hunting season begins (middle of September). 5. Research and Investigations Dr. Ron Royer, under contract with the National Biological Service (NBS) and Minot State University, surveyed butterflies in 1995 and 1996 on areas with 3-4 prescribed burns.