The watershed restoration work elements within this project area, the South Fork Salmon River Watershed, follow the watershed restoration approach adopted by the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) Department of Fisheries Resource Management (DFRM) - Watershed Division.  The vision of the NPT DFRM - Watershed Division  focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government.  The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects and strategies that rely on natural fish production and healthy river ecosystems.  The NPT DFRM - Watershed Division strives towards maximizing historic ecosystem productivity and health for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations and the habitat on which all depend for future generations.

PROJECT GOAL:
The ultimate goal of this ongoing project is to work with the holistic, ridge top to ridge top approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the South Fork Salmon River Watershed to assist in the recovery and protection of anadromous and resident fish species, and all other fish and wildlife.

PROJECT SUMMARY:
FY 08 implementation included a comprehensive road inventory and assessment to prioritize future road decommissioning and road-trail conversions, the design of the Salt, Profile, and Parks Creek culvert replacement Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) projects, the Subcontracting of the Salt & Profile Creek Bridge projects, and many hours of planning cooperatively with the Payette National Forest.

FY09 implementation for this ongoing project included Parks Creek Bridge design and Subcontract, the replacement of 3 fish passage barrier culverts with pre-stressed, pre-cast concrete free-span modular bridges over Salt, Profile, and Parks Creeks returning 15.64 miles of fish habitat,  decommissioning of 22 miles of roads within the Secesh River subwatershed, continuation of road surveys and transportation planning in sub-watersheds, and planning for fish barrier data collection for the entire South Fork Salmon Watershed on the Payette and Boise National Forests to identify future high priority restoration projects.  Also in FY09, we applied for a Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) grant with the Idaho Office of Species Conservation (OSC) to fund a Conservation Easement on the Wapiti Meadow Ranch along Johnson Creek.  This effort represents a Partnership between the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries-Watershed, the Wapiti Meadow Owner, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  The grant application was reviewed by the PCSRF Funding Board.  The Board voted to set aside reserve funds in the amount of $866,250.00 to fund this very important project.  On June 30, 2010, Mike Edmondson of OSC and Eric Leitzinger of IDFG toured the property with NPT Staff and on Tuesday,  the OSC Board vote to fund the Wapiti Meadow CE in full.

The FY10 Statement of Work for this ongoing project includes Project Management, Coordination, and Administration activities including Wapiti Meadows Ranch Conservation Easement activities, the replacement of 6 fish passage barrier culverts to return 7.3 miles of fish habitat,  decommissioning of 10 - 20 miles roads within the South Fork Salmon River watershed, completion of road surveys and transportation planning in sub-watersheds, and completion of fish barrier data collection for the entire South Fork Salmon Subbasin on the Payette and Boise National Forests to identify future high priority restoration projects.  All this work will be performed in cooperation with the Payette and Boise National Forests, with the intent of prioritizing protection and restoration projects watershed-wide into the future, resulting in a comprehensive Watershed Restoration Strategy.   A minimum 30% cost share will be provided by the Payette and Boise National Forests including cash and in-kind contributions.

FY10 and future year Project Management, Coordination, and Administration activities will all include work on the Wapiti Meadow Ranch Conservation Easement, as well as Restoration Implementation once the Easement is in place.