Projects

Wildlife Links

Bonneville Power Administration: Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project

The construction of the Albeni Falls Dam hydroelectric facility on the Pend Oreille River in the Columbia basin resulted in the inundation of key wildlife habitats. The resultant habitat loss was quantified and a ledger based crediting system was adopted to offset those loses. The primary goal of the Albeni Falls Project is to offset the terrestrial and aquatic habitat losses incurred by the Albeni Falls dam via subsequent construction and inundation. The agencies responsible for mitigating these losses are: The Coeur d' Alene Tribe, Kalispel Tribe, Kootenai Tribe, and the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game under the collective Albeni Falls Workgroup Memorandum of Agreement. Proposed projects are ranked and evaluated by the workgroup for consistency in scope of mitigation efforts as they apply to appropriate replacement habitats. Other valuations include: cost-effectiveness, fish benefits, and immediacy of threat, location, connectivity and long-term management potential. All activities conducted under on this project are under the auspices of the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project Memorandum of Understanding between the Tribe and BPA that was signed in 2001. Most, if not all, targeted acquisitions to offset loses will occur within the Coeur d' Alene subbasin as part of Tribal land management expediency effort (cost-effectiveness) and suitable commensurate habitat acquisition opportunities. As of January 2005 two parcels of land have been acquired under the Albeni Falls Project:

• Goose Haven Lake Property-646 acres consisting of low lying wetlands and forested uplands and the St. Joe River, located north of St. Maries


• Benewah Creek/Johnson Property-411 acres constisting of low lying wetlands along Benewah Creek and forested uplands located in the Benewah Creek Drainage.

Bonneville Power Administration: Hangman Creek Restoration Project

The Hangman Creek Restoration Project was originally funded in August of 2001. The Project was initiated to partially address the loss of anadromous fish resources incurred by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe during the establishment of the Columbia River Federal Hydropower System. The Hangman Watershed was one of the major fisheries for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. The loss of the anadromous fish resources forced the Tribe to rely more heavily on resident fish and wildlife to fulfill subsistence needs. Modern agricultural methods have reduced resident fish and wildlife populations and currently the waters of the Hangman Watershed support no resident fishery and the native wildlife species are largely restricted to the upper forested elevations.

The initial Project focus was on development of a Prioritization Plan to direct native fish and wildlife habitat restoration efforts. The Priority Habitats that were identified in the Plan fell along Hangman Creek and its fish bearing tributaries upstream of the Hangman Creek / Mission Creek confluence in the Upper Hangman Watershed. A set of three properties centrally located within this Priority Area were selected as the first to be acquired. According to the original intent of the Hangman Restoration Project, the acquisition of these properties were to provide needed wildlife and fish habitats as substitution for anadromous fish losses.

In order to complete negotiations with the landowners, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe chose to seek crediting for these properties against Albeni Falls Construction and Inundation Losses. The Albeni Falls Work Group agreed with the crediting of HUs for these acquisitions and future enhancement and restoration of wildlife habitats on the properties will also be credited against Albeni Falls losses. All pre-acquisition activities on the targeted properties were completed in FY2004. One acquisition was completed in December of 2004, one was completed in January of 2005, and the third acquisition is expected to be completed in late February or early March. With these acquisitions come management responsibilities which will begin immediately

Bonneville Power Administration: Lake Creek Property Enhancement

As part of the first 3-year Provincial Rolling Review in 2000, the Tribe identified a series of target areas for protection and restoration based on a variety of factors and the scope of the Project was changed from it's initial focus on a single property to encompassing a number of priority properties that allowed for flexibility in accomplishing the objectives of mitigating the Tribe. In 2002, a portion of the funds originally allocated to purchase an initial targeted parcel were used to purchase the 147.6 acre Windy Bay Property, which lies at the mouth of Lake Creek and at the head of Windy Bay on the east shore of Coeur d'Alene Lake.

In 2004, the project centered on initiating management actions on the Windy Bay Property and beginning assessments in preparation of a management plan for the property. In 2005 the project focuses on completion of the management plan and a continuation of protection actions for the Windy Bay Property, and the pursuit of fee title to additional properties in the Lake Creek Watershed to further reduce the HU ledger that was initially associated with the Lake Creek Land Acquisition and Enhancement Project.

It is the intent of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe to continue to fully implement projects designed to compensate the Tribe for losses due to the establishment of the Columbia River Federal Hydropower System. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe participated in the writing of a Subbasin Plan for the Coeur d'Alene Subbasin and the Tribe intends to implement projects consistent with the Coeur d'Alene Subbasin Plan as soon as it is fully adopted. For the immediate future however, the Tribe intends to focus on managing the Windy Bay Property in a manner consistent with the protection and enhancement of the Habitat Units that can be derived from the Property and continue attempts to achieve the original goals of the Lake Creek Land Acquisition Project.

Elk Population Dynamics

The overall goal of this project is to establish a solid information base on the movements and population attributes of elk on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation. Information that the Tribe intends to obtain from this project includes:

Locations of migration corridors Seasonal movements of individual herds Locations of calving areas Information on habitat usage, high priority habitats, and winter range Cow/Calf ratios Post-winter recruitment rates Trends in overall population abundance Improved Tribal elk harvest data

The information gained from this project will be used by IDFG and WDFW to fill some of their data gaps in regards to the elk movements, habitat use patterns, and population attributes in the vicinity of the Coeur d'Alene Reservation. Results will be incorporated into Idaho and Washington elk management plans. The CDAT will integrate this information into its harvest regulations, Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP), Forest Plan, and its comments and recommendations on various land-use projects on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation and aboriginal territory.

Upper Columbia United Tribes

The subcontract with the Upper Columbia United Tribes through funding with the Bureau of Indian Affairs consists of two main objectives:

(1) Identifying and implementing management activities necessary for protecting and preserving hunting and fishing resources on the Coeur d' Alene Indian Reservation and

(2) Providing technical representation for both fish and wildlife during interdisciplinary forums, including, but not limited to, the development of a Tribal Forest Management Plan and the Integrated Resources Management Plan.

Post Falls Dam/Avista Relicening Project