Natural resources, including flora and fauna have shaped the culture of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho (Tribe) for thousands of years.  The aboriginal territories of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho people were far reaching with traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering activities extending into British Columbia, Western Montana, and all of Northern Idaho; many of the areas and resources traditionally used by the Tribe have been lost, anadromous salmonids no longer journey up the Upper Columbia River and its tributaries and wapato no longer blooms on the drained wet meadows.  Even today, the Kootenai white sturgeon and burbot struggle to maintain historic spawning grounds. It is the goal of the Tribe to promote full mitigation of the impacts suffered by the people of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the fish, water, wildlife, and plant resources which they depended, as a direct and indirect result of the development and operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS).

Coordination and cooperation between all agencies and Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT), including the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, will ensure Albeni Falls wildlife mitigation activities are consistent with the Northwest Power Conservation Council's (NWPCC) Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program and the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA).  The purpose of this work statement is to provide funds to the Tribe to participate in the Albeni Falls Interagency Work Group (Work Group) and implementation of Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project - 9206100 (Project).  The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho project work statement and process follows the newly adopted program (NWPPC 2000) and the 1995 Fish and Wildlife Program by focusing its efforts on the mitigation of fish and wildlife losses attributable to the development, operation and management of the Columbia River Basin hydroelectric facilities. This project will also complement, support, and integrate ongoing and future fisheries, wildlife and ecological studies in the Kootenai River Basin.

Wildlife management plans are being developed for the Trout Creek Peninsula (112 acres) in the Kootenai River valley and Perkins Lake (98 acres) in the Moyie River basin. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho has met with community groups, agencies, governments and local individuals, including but not limited to local farmers, sportsman groups and county officials, in order to address public concerns regarding wetland/riparian mitigation and conservation activities.  This community-oriented approach (membership in Kootenai Valley Resource initiative [KVRI], and development of the “Kootenai River Valley Wetland and Riparian Conservation Strategy”) has protracted the short-term mitigation activities of the Tribal mitigation program, but at this measured pace the Tribal mitigation program hopes to accomplish a more stable, long-lived wildlife mitigation strategy and insure the success of local wildlife management activities in the future. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho is reviewing mitigation opportunities that combine local values, issues, and address potential concerns regarding land purchases in the Kootenai aboriginal territories.

The Tribe has implemented preliminary floral and fauna surveys, mapping and tracking weeds, cultural plants, and monitoring water elevations related to areas of potential cottonwood/willow recruitment. Management reporting activities that assists write up of management plans will be emphasized this year. Subcontractors work (Landau Associates) finalized passive bio-engineering designs, which will be incorporated into management plans for review in 2006.

Natural tree regeneration (cottonwood) on depositional areas along the Kootenai River (Trout Creek Peninsula) showed promise during early surveys, but high winter flows by Libby Dam flooded, scoured and drown a large percentage of all surveyed natural regeneration. Surveys of water timing/duration/depth, and other factors influencing natural recruitment have been documented and the Tribe will utilize data to show the related impacts of winter high flows due to power peaking operation from Libby Dam (associated work in #2002-011-00) and develop manage options to assist in the increase of river bank pioneering species.

Long term funding of mitigation project operations and maintenance actions are based on ecological principles and activities that protect and/or maintain functional target habitats and associated habitat units (HU's) while ensuring project viability and integrity. O&M also includes administrative functions and practices that support protection and operations and maintenance measures on project lands.

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is an integral component of long-term O&M. Monitoring target habitats (via HEP/vegetation surveys) and associated fish and wildlife species (via surveys on loss assessment species or surrogates) is necessary to ensure that post enhancement habitat activities fulfill the long-term maintenance of habitats and species being mitigated.