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.  The total size of all wildlife area units is 24,947 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.  The initial acquisition in 1991 was primarily for the recovery of the Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse, a state threatened species, and enhancement of their critical habitats.  Population estimates of Sharp-tailed grouse on the Scotch Creek, Tunk Valley and Chesaw Units increased steadily from the initial acquisition until about 2006 when the estimates leveled off.  Since that time numbers have decreased.  This could be due to a number of very wet and cold weather events during the spring nesting and brood reading time frame, and/or this could be due to a number of other factors including genetics or predation.  Sharp-tails were translocated from south east Idaho to the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area in 1998, 1999, and 2000 to supplement the existing population which was estimated to be 6 - 10 birds at the time.  The habitat enhancements and genetic supplementation through augmentation appeared to have success as the population increased steadily for 5 or 6 years.  WDFW is formulating plans for 3 years of translocation to the Scotch Creek unit starting in 2014.    

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 areas 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. In addition we will continue the dialog with the public by hosting an annual Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) meeting.  This meeting outlines our accomplishments over the past year and informs the group about plans for the new year, as well as accepting comments and suggestions from a wide variety of stakeholders.  Fire protection contracts will be in place with local districts and the DNR to protect improvements and critical habitats.

In addition to on-going maintenance and protection of the area, we will start the first year of summer fallow on the Thornburg acquisition.  This new state property on Silver Hill is critical shrub-steppe habitat and is within 1/2 mile of an active lek that will provide better nesting and brood rearing habitat for Sharp-tailed grouse.  We will attempt 100 acres of the 200 acres that has been farmed and seeded to Intermediate Wheatgrass by the previous owners.  Two years of summer fallow before seeding has proven to be successful for eradication of this difficult sod forming non-native grass.  We will enhance Riparian habitats by hand planting 1,500 trees and shrubs on various units of the WLA, and also plant 1,500 Bitterbrush plugs on the Eder unit to further enhance deer winter range.  

Note: Management plans for the new acquisitions: the Eder, Ellemeham, and the Similkameen - Chopaka units, have been completed; they are being implemented, and will/may continue to be refined and updated during this contract period, and integrated into the overall Management Plan for Scotch Creek.