The Scotch Creek Wildlife Area is a complex of 7 separate management units located in Okanogan county in North Central Washington State.  The project is located within the Columbia Cascade Province (Okanogan sub-basin) and partially addresses adverse impacts caused by the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee hydroelectric dams.  With the addition of the Eder acquisition, the total size of all wildlife area units is 19,860 acres.  The Scotch Creek Wildlife Area was approved as a wildlife mitigation project in 1996 and habitat enhancement efforts to meet mitigation objectives have been underway since the spring of 1997 on Scotch Creek.  Population estimates of Sharp-tailed grouse on the Scotch Creek unit show a dramatic increase since initial acquisition in 1991.  Habitat enhancements and genetic supplementation through augmentation appear to be having a positive effect.  

Maintenance of BPA funded enhancements are necessary to protect and enhance shrub-steppe and riparian habitats to recover and sustain populations of Sharp-tailed grouse and other obligate species.  This contract will maintain shrub and tree plantings to ensure continued growth and survival, and the benefit of Sharp tailed grouse winter habitat.  Boundary fence repair will be performed to prevent trespass livestock on all wildlife area units.  Weed control on all acres of the wildlife area will be performed to restore quality habitat as well as protection from new invaders and maintain existing HU's.  Maintenance of signs, physical improvements, roads and parking areas will protect habitat by directing and informing the public.  Funding of administrative duties will keep project staff informed of new procedures and developments, BPA and DFW personnel informed of on-going projects, keep planning and project reporting on track, and insure smooth operations between all interested parties.  Maintenance activities will be expanded this year to two new wildlife area units, the Similkameen - Chopaka, and the Ellemeham units on the north end of the project area.

In addition to on-going maintenance and protection of the area, we will install fence markers on up to 20 miles of barbed wire fence to reduce fence collision mortalities on Sharp-tailed grouse and other upland game birds.  Specific locations will be stategically located on all units that pose the greatest threat to collisions.  We will restore shrub-steppe on 70 acres on the Scotch Creek unit.  This field is within 1/2 mile of an active lek and will provide better nesting habitat for Sharp-tailed grouse.  We will install a solar pump, up to 2 miles of drip tube, and 240 emitters to better establish Water Birch and Aspen in a location that is critical to wintering Sharp-tailed grouse.  Finally we will attempt to restore some struggling Aspen stands on the Chesaw unit by completely clearcutting.  The slash will be piled for winter burning.  This technique has been proven to stimulate suckering to 5000 plants per acre.