S Komact Ron 639*32 Libby Dam U25Ldwh wildlife habitat 1993 enhancement Habitat Enhancement fife / Final Report U.S. Department of Energy Bonneville Power Administration Division of Fish & Wildlife Kootenai National Forest March 1993 : MONTANA STATE LIBRARY S639.32U25Ldwh1993c.1Komac LibbyDamwildlifehabitatenhancement 3 0864 00084615 7 This report was funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), U.S. Department of Energy, as part of BPA's program to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife affected by the development and operation of hydroelectric facilities on the Columbia River and its tributaries. The views in this report are the author's and do not necessarily represent the views of BPA. For copies of this report, write to: Bonneville Power Administration Division of Fish and Wildlife - PJ P.O. Box 3621 Portland, OR 97208 LIBBY DAM WILDLIFE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT FINAL REPORT Prepared by: Ron Komac, Wildlife Biologist Rexford Ranger District and Jennifer Holifield, Wildlife Biologist Fisher River Ranger District Kootenai National Forest Prepared for: U.S. Department of Energy Bonneville Power Administration Division ofFish and Wildlife P O. Box 3621 OR Portland, 97283-3621 Project Number 88-43 Contract Number DE-AI79-88BP93247 MARCH 1993 Digitized by the Internet Archive 2016 in https://archive.org/details/libbydamwildlife1993koma TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Tables iii List of Figures iv Abstract v Introduction 1 Methods and Materials 3 Results 6 Discussion 9 Literature Cited 11 Appendix A1 ii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Habitat Treatments, Treatment Timing and Size 4 1 2 Cost Range Associated With Treatments 4 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Habitat Enhancement Project Area 2 1 2 Positioning and Juxtaposition of the Treatment Units 5 IV Abstract: The results of habitat improvement project activities accomplished under Bonneville Power Admin- istration contract DE-AI79-88BP93247, project # 88-43 for mule deer mitigation along Lake Koocanusa from September 1, 1988, through December 31, 1991, are reported. Treatments were applied to five areas, encompassing 820 acres. Treatments included 840 acres of prescribed fire and 318 acres of slashing followed by prescribed fire. Variation in treatment times and treatment intensities were used. The treatments complimented existing Kootenai National Forest management activities, other BPA contracts and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Trust Fund projects. The treatment areas range in size from 80 to 250 acres and are primarily southerly aspects. All of the areas were open ponderosa pine stands historically, providing good foraging opportunity for big game. Four of the treatment areas were selectively slashed and allowed to dry for 1 year prior to treatment by prescribed fire, one treatment area was selectively logged (6 acres) priorto the slashing treatment, and one treatment area was treated with prescribed fire only. v INTRODUCTION Construction of the Libby Dam hydroelectric facility on the Kootenai River resulted in the inundation of approximately 29,000 acres of suitable big gamewinter and spring range. In addition, activefiresuppression for the past 6 decades has allowed increased encroachment of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) into the open ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) - bunchgrass community (vegetation names follow Hitchcock and Cronquist, 1973). This community is naturally maintained by periodic (8-22yearfrequency) light intensityfires which selectively favor continuation/perpetuation ofthe open ponderosa pine community by killing Douglas- firseedlingsand saplingswhich are highlysusceptibletofire mortalitywhenyoung. Douglas-firestablishment results in canopy closure which shades out grass and browse species important to big game. These forage species are generally adapted to and survive best with periodic fire. In accordance with the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980, P.L.96-501, a joint project between the Kootenai National Forest (USFS) and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MDFWP), funded by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) was initiated in September, 1984 to mitigate for the loss of big game winter and spring range by the Libby Dam hydroelectric facility. Approxi- mately 1100 acres were treated under project #84-38 between 1984 and 1990. Project #88-43 was a continuation of the mitigation and bridged the time between project #84-38 and the establishment of the Montana Wildlife Mitigation Trust Fund. The portion ofthe projectfunded under project #88-43 was directed at habitat improvement within mule deer winter and spring ranges. The project area (fig. 1) is included within the suitable wintering areas utilized by resident mule deer as well as other big game, including white-tailed deer, elk and moose. 1 Figure 1 - Habitat Enhancement Project Area 2