SOUTHERN IDAHO WILDLIFE MITIGATION UPPER SNAKE WILDLIFE MITIGATON Project # 199505700 THE SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBES PRESENTER: CHAD COLTER

Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Agencies Involved Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Includes BLM and others interested in mitigation efforts Focus efforts in the Middle and Upper Snake River Provinces in order to meet HU Goals

Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation

Upper Snake Wildlife Mitigation Programmatically Protect 22,851 Habitat Units (3/4 of the total remaining Habitat Units) Enhance 7,617 Habitat Units (1/4 of the total remaining Habitat Units)

Relationship to the NWPPC F&W Program “Primary strategy: Complete the current mitigation program for construction and inundation losses and include wildlife mitigation for all operational losses as an integrated part of habitat protection and restoration” (page 39, NWPPC 2000-19). Project addresses wildlife habitat losses for Minidoka and Palisades Hydroelectric Facilities “Project funding priorities: Wildlife mitigation should emphasize addressing areas of the basin with the highest proportion of unmitigated losses” (page 64, NWPPC 2000-19). Projects implemented by SIWM through calendar year 2000 provided 17,105 HU’s of mitigation credit to BPA and leaves 30,468 HU’s (64%) remaining unmitigated.

Relationship to the Subbasin Plan “In general, habitat-related issues encompass the primary limiting factors for fish and wildlife. These habitat issues fit into several non-exclusive categories: loss, degradation, fragmentation, quantity and quality (Gregory et al. 2001).”

Goals and Objectives Limiting Factor: Loss of habitat. Goal: Mitigate wildlife habitat losses associated with the Minidoka and Palisades Hydroelectric Facilities within the Upper Snake River Province. Objective 1: Protect 3,000 acres and 1,500 habitat units Objective 2: Enhance and restore 1,000 habitat units Objective 3: Maintain, monitor, and evaluate habitat Objective 4: Adaptively manage mitigation projects

Potential Project Prioritization Plans were initially established by interagency teams of biologists (Mueleman et al. 1991, Martin et at. 1986, Martin et al. 1991) In addition to these plans, GAP (Scott et al.1993, Caicco et al. 1995) cover types are used in a coarse-filter/fine-filter approach to identify areas with potential for mitigation projects.

Project Locations and Planned Acquisitions

RUDEEN ACQUISITION Bald Eagle Winter Roosting BLM - ACEC

SODA SPRINGS HILLS BLM - PROJECT AREA Deer/Elk Winter Range Eagles Habitat Fragmentation

Blackfoot River Wild & Scenic Study Deer/Elk Winter Range Natural and Cultural Resource Values Fort Hall Irrigation Project Habitat Fragmentation EPA 303(d) Water Quality Limited State BLM Fort Hall IR

Monitoring and Evaluation Ongoing Efforts Assess Habitat Unit Gains Using HEP Monitor Vegetation Status Technique Evaluation Goal Achievement Monitor Vegetation Change Monitor wildlife Abundance and Diversity