The Precious Lands project was initiated in 1996 to provide partial mitigation for wildlife habitat losses sustained from construction and inundation of the four lower Snake River dams.  This project includes 16,286 acres of high quality fish and wildlife habitat in the Lower Grande Ronde subbasin.  In addition to the land held in fee title by the Nez Perce Tribe, the project controls a non-use grazing lease on BLM lands totaling an additional 1,180 acres.   Wildlife habitats on the project consist primarily of canyon grasslands with intermixed shrub fields, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests, and riparian areas.  Precious lands includes parts of Bear, Cottonwood, Basin, Rock, Broady, Tamarack, Joseph, Rush, and Buford Creeks which provide habitat for listed Snake River Steelhead and resident trout within 16.3 miles of perennial streams.  It lies approximately 40 miles north of Enterprise, Oregon adjacent to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.  Part of the project (1,242 acres) is located in Washington state south of Anatone.

This contract represents a continuation of on-going operations, maintenance, and monitoring work designed to protect, enhance, and mitigate for ten target wildlife species as well as promote biodiversity and ecosystem health.  The Work Elements detailed in this contract will allow staff to maintain boundary fences to exclude trespass livestock, allow for safe public access, maintain and improve native plant communities, provide high quality habitat for target species, and ensure this project is administered in coordination with neighboring landowners including the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.  This contract will help the Bonneville Power Administration meet its obligations under the Northwest Power and Conservation Act as well as its trust responsibilities to the Nez Perce Tribe.  This contract will authorize funding for the Nez Perce Tribe to manage and administer the Precious Lands Wildlife Area to benefit target species as well as Threatened and Endangered fish, wildlife and plants.  Currently, the Precious Lands Project provides 21,118 baseline Habitat Units (HU's) for target wildlife species.  The FY11 contract will also authorize a Large woody Debris project in Joseph Creek to improve fish habitat complexity and streambank stability along two miles of Steelhead stream.