Summary:  The Rainwater Wildlife Area was established in September 1998 by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) pursuant to the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, and the Washington Interim Wildlife Mitigation Agreement (BPA et al., 1993).  The purpose of the project is to protect and enhance fish and wildlife resources, and mitigate the impacts of development of the John Day and McNary hydroelectric dams.  This contract provides funding to the CTUIR to operate and manage the Rainwater Wildlife Area to maintain, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.  

Background:  Rainwater is located in southeastern Washington approximately 8 miles south of Dayton [Township 7 North, Range 39 East, all or portions of Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; and Township 8 North, Range 39 East, all or portions of Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 17, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, and 34, and  Township 9 North, Range 39 East. portions of Sections 28, 32, and 33, Willamette Meridian, Latitude 46.12.30, Longitude 117.57.30].   The area was selected by the CTUIR and BPA as a regional mitigation project because of its large size, location in the upper headwaters of the Touchet River watershed, and its ability to provide anadromous fish, resident fish, and wildlife benefits in a holistic watershed management context.  In 2009-2010, the Tribe and BPA made significant additional land purchases that added approximately 2400 acres to the pre-2009 Rainwater Wildlife Area boundary.  

Status:  The now nearly 11,000-acre Wildlife project area comprises a significant portion of the upper South Fork Touchet River drainage in the Walla Walla River subbasin, adjacent to the Umatilla National Forest.  The project includes approximately 8,300 acres of upland and riparian coniferous forest, 2,500 acres of native and native-like grasslands, and 200 acres of deciduous riparian habitat.  The Wildlife Area also provides 10 miles of headwater spawning and rearing habitat for Threatened summer steelhead, bull trout, and resident trout.  Currently, based on HEP surveys conducted in 2012-2013 the project provides 8,417 baseline Habitat Units (HU's) on the original wildlife area (~8500 acres) and 3,571 HUs on the ~2400 acres acquired after 2009.  Habitat Units were measured for seven target mitigation species.  

Purpose: This contract continues support for CTUIR efforts to help the Bonneville Power Administration meet Columbia River Basin mitigation obligations and objectives within the Ceded Lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).  Management actions undertaken as part of this contract are designed to promote watershed health, support recovery of ESA fish species, and nurture self-sustaining ecosystem features and habitat function.    

Ongoing: This SOW reflects a continuation of prior management activities on the Wildlife Area, and provides direction for additional actions planned for implementation in subsequent contract periods. Contract activities include project planning, implementation management, and construction oversight; ongoing site operations and maintenance; and limited assessment that is specific to evaluation of management strategies on the wildlife area and not part of a larger basin-wide data-gathering or monitoring effort. Specific contract support in the current performance period encompasses:
•    Administration and operation of the wildlife area;
•    Maintenance of existing fence lines to prevent cattle trespass on Robinette Mountain; and continued construction of between 0.25 and 1.0 miles of additional new boundary fence (Jasper Mountain);
•    Controlling bark beetle outbreaks, and promoting healthy stands of timbered habitat through ongoing forest thinning, burning, and other strategies;
•    Continuing a weed management program which includes limited herbicide treatment along roads and ridgelines; expanded weed control on steep difficult to access terrain with the use of targeted grazing by goats;  
•    Seeding with native grass seed to restore native Palouse grasslands;  
•    Continuing to develop a nature/bird trail in conjunction with local private landowners meant to increase non-consumptive public use of the wildlife area;
•    Completion of fencing to protect the significant healthy stand of native Aspen on Robinette Mountain from browse or grazing damage; and
•    Continued onsite monitoring of the temperature of the South Fork Touchet River, and Griffin Forks, to determine the status and trend of the river;

Emphases (2024-2025): Planning and implementation management activities in the current contract period also begin or continue the following major tasks and initiatives:
•    Finalizing the design, engineering, and site planning for the restoration of approximately 15,000 feet of instream, riparian, and floodplain habitat along the South Fork Touchet River, to reestablish properly functioning habitat conditions in this channel segment;
•    Clearing and thinning of woody brush and other slope-side vegetation to improve fire-proofing of the Wildlife Area and Field Office location.
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