Background

The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Act) of 1980 (Public Law 96-501) directed that measures be implemented by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife to the extent affected by development and operation of hydropower projects on the Columbia River system (Martin et al. 1988).  The Act created the Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Council (Council), which in turn developed the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (Program). Under the Act, BPA has the authority and obligation to fund fish and wildlife mitigation activities that are consistent with the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program (USDE 1996).  Part of the Program was the development of wildlife protection, mitigation and enhancement plans for each of the hydropower facilities on the Columbia River system and ultimately, implementation of the plans to mitigate wildlife habitat losses.  The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) developed a mitigation plan in 1987, for the Albeni Falls hydroelectric facility that was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) on the Pend Oreille River in Bonner County, Idaho between 1951 and 1955 (Martin et al. 1988).  Mitigation plans for wildlife habitat losses at each of the Columbia River Basin dams were submitted by BPA to the Council in 1989, including the mitigation plan for Albeni Falls Dam in Idaho (USDE 1996).  The Council reviewed and approved the Albeni Falls plan in 1990 (USDE 1996).

The Albeni Falls Wildlife Management Plan Final Environmental Assessment (BPA 1996) addressed the potential environmental effects of a proposed wildlife habitat protection and enhancement program.  Based on the analysis in the environmental assessment, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) concluded that funding the development and implementation of the Project would enable the IDFG, as well as other federal agencies and sovereign nations to protect and enhance a variety of wetland and riparian habitats, restore 28,587 Habitat Units (HU) lost as a result of construction of the Albeni Falls Dam, and implement long-term wildlife management activities.  The Project also complies with the Wildlife Mitigation Program Final Environmental Impact Statement (BPA 1997) and the standardized planning and implementation process prescriptions set forth in the Record of Decision.  In-lieu of annualizing habitat unit losses the Council decided to mitigate losses at a 2:1 ratio. That is, for every two HU protected the HU ledger would be reduced by one HU. In 2002, however, BPA decided to maintain a 1:1 crediting policy.  The issue of how to address the annualized wildlife habitat losses remains unresolved.

The Northern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Agreement was jointly prepared and approved by the IDFG and BPA in June 1997 (BPA and IDFG 1997).  This contract is one of two IDFG contracts for protection, mitigation and enhancement of wildlife habitats in Northern Idaho.  This contract covers all enhancement, operations and maintenance responsibilities for mitigation parcels.  The other contract under this Project number covers all management and administrative responsibilities for implementing mitigation projects.  Thus, the Project goals are twofold and are: 1) to continue ongoing implementation of the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project; and, 2) to protect, restore, maintain, and manage wetland, riparian and upland coniferous forest habitats on three wildlife management areas in Northern Idaho.  As of 2009, IDFG has protected a total of 3715.43 acres yielding 3,749.08 HU. The mitigation parcels managed under this contract are described under each wildlife management area outlined below.

This contract has been developed to cover personnel, maintenance and operating costs for a 12-month contract period with the following objectives:
• Develop management plans that will include, but not be limited to, the following components:  fish and wildlife habitat, recreation and access, fire protection noxious weeds, information and education, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation.  The management plans will define the management program.
• Coordinate enhancement activities defined in the individual site plans.  Activities may include, but are not limited to, fencing, controlled burns, planting native vegetation, property clean up, and cultivating cropland.
• Coordinate operations and maintenance activities on mitigation project lands. Activities may include maintenance of fences, property and habitat improvements, access, water structures, and information and education facilities, enforcement of easement terms and noxious weed control.
• Management of Acquired Lands to manage, protect, and enhance wildlife species and their habitats based on sound ecosystem techniques and principles - to continue operation and maintenance activities on project lands.
• Enhancement and Restoration - to implement sound ecosystem management to enhance and/or restore degraded habitats on project lands over time.


Boundary Creek/Smith Creek Wildlife Management Areas (BCSCWMA)

The Boundary Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) was acquired as farmland in 1999, and involved an ongoing effort to restore an approximately 1,200-acre floodplain wetland complex composed of six herbaceous wetland basins.  Restoration efforts include re-establishment of floodplain deciduous forest and shrub land habitats.  The project also serves to protect 205 acres of upland coniferous forest.  The creation of the Boundary Creek Wildlife Management Area was made possible by a consortium of funding partners composed of the IDFG, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), BPA, Ducks Unlimited (DU), Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Crown Pacific (CP), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), and Kootenai Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF).  BPA was the principal contributor (29.8%) to land acquisition funding, as well as ongoing operation and management funding. IDFG also contributes to ongoing operation and maintenance funding.   In July 2005, a 40-acre wetland parcel was purchased under the Project.  Deep Creek runs through the 40-acre parcel which is located within the McArthur Lake wildlife corridor, identified as one of the most important regional corridors to protect for large-scale animal movements.  Then in January 2007, the 620-acre Smith Creek parcel, located directly south of the Boundary Creek parcel, was donated to the Department by DU. The Smith Creek parcel was donated with the understanding that it would be enrolled and managed under the BPA Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project.  In July 2008, IDFG acquired a 24 acre parcel fronting Smith Creek and adjacent to the Smith Creek WMA.  The Boundary Creek/Smith Creek WMA complex now totals 2,049 acres.


Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area (POWMA)

Between 1997 and present, IDFG has acquired several wildlife mitigation parcels through the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project for the Pend Oreille WMA totaling about 1,794.34 acres and yielding an estimated 2,911.17 HU.  The Pend Oreille WMA is composed of individual habitat segments spread from the Washington/Idaho boarder to the Montana/Idaho boarder.  Eleven habitat segments are enrolled under the Project (Table 1). Over the past five years, many of these parcels have been added to and ownership consolidated by working with neighboring landowners.  Consequently, a new wildlife management plan was prepared for the WMA and was finalized in 2008.   In 2009, the 12-acre Pearl Island was donated to IDFG, and enrolled under the Project.  In accordance with the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project, the purpose of the wildlife management plan is to describe the current situation and the long-term management activities necessary for the protection, enhancement and maintenance of wildlife habitat on mitigation parcels.

Table 1.  Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area
Mitigation Property Year Acquired    Acres
Albeni Cove               1999                  97        
Carter's Island            1997             96
Cocolalla Lake           1999                118  
Denton Slough           1997             17
Derr  Creek                 1997           240  
Gold Creek                 2005           310
Lower Pack River      1999             32
Pearl Island                2009                  12
Rapid Lightning          1999                661
Trout Creek                1999                315
Westmond Lake         1999                  65
                                        

Coeur d'Alene Wildlife Management Area (CDAWMA)

IDFG acquired 62 acres in Benewah County on the St. Joe River in 2007.  An additional 100 acres, more or less, adjacent to the Lower St. Joe parcel is owned by the Avista Corporation.  The intent is to manage these additional acres under a MOA with Avista and the U.S. Forest Service in order to increase the wildlife benefit to the 62-acre St. Joe parcel.  A baseline HEP was completed for the St. Joe acquisition in 2007, and a management plan will be prepared for the St. Joe parcel after the partner agreement is completed.  At present, the 62-acre parcel yields 86.45 baseline HU.  In late 2009, IDFG acquired the 49-acre Robinson Creek parcel which is adjacent to larger wetland mitigation parcels held by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and a large wetland conservation easement.  ITD is willing to transfer their Robinson Creek wetland strip to the Project which will increase the restoration possibilities for the mitigation parcel.