BACKGROUND

The construction of hydroelectric facilities in the Columbia Basin resulted in the extirpation of anadromous fish stocks in Hangman Creek and its tributaries.  Thus, the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe was forced to rely more heavily on native fish stocks such as redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss garideini), westslope cutthroat trout (O. clarki lewisii) and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) as well as local wildlife populations.  

Throughout the 20th Century native fish and wildlife habitats within the Hangman Watershed were degraded from widespread conversion to agriculture production and intensive timber harvest.  Currently, wildlife and fish populations in the Hangman Watershed are marginalized and water quality is significantly impaired.  The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's response to current conditions has been to initiate two mitigation projects within the Watershed to protect, restore and/or enhance priority riparian, wetland and upland areas within the Hangman Watershed in order to promote healthy self-sustaining fish and wildlife populations.  The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Fisheries Program implements BPA Project #2001-032-00, while the Tribal Wildlife Program implements this Project, BPA Project #2001-033-00.  The Fisheries Program's Project directs efforts toward identifying the factor that limit the distribution and abundance of current fish populations within the Hangman Watershed.  The project is also involved in protecting and restoring both instream habitats and the remaining stocks of native fish.  The Wildlife Program directs efforts at protecting and restoring landscape level habitats and hydric functions that provide proper water quality and quantity to support instream flows that accommodate native fish.  The Wildlife Project used the acquisition of priority wildlife habitats as an initial step towards providing stream flows and wetland habitats essential to native salmonid populations.  All proposed #2001-033-00 activities are designed to assist in alleviating water quality and quantity problems within the entire Hangman Watershed as well as improve wildlife habitats to credit Habitat Units to the Bonneville Power Administration.

The Hangman Restoration Project was initially contracted in August of 2001.  The first year was focused toward conducting initial investigations into the potential of the Hangman Watershed and selecting parcels that offered the greatest potential to support native fish and wildlife habitats.  The second and third years were focused toward acquiring the first priority properties, securing those properties, continuing investigations into the potential of the Hangman Watershed and establishing monitoring and evaluation protocols.  Unfortunately, acquisitions were not complete during the anticipated timelines due to budgetary constraints.  In FY2005, the Project overcame a loss of credibility with landowners to complete the acquisition of properties previously identified in the Prioritization Plan.

FY2007 SCOPE OF WORK

The FY2005 Expense Contract that funded the assessment and initial investigations into the potential of the purchased properties was not established until May of 2005.  This late date of that contract did not allow sufficient time to complete hydrologic assessments of the acquired properties.  FY2006 was devoted to completing the necessary hydrologic assessments, further securing the properties through control of noxious weeds, removing ladder fuels that threaten the stability of near old growth habitats and continuing partnership efforts with BPA to complete hydrologic research.  The assessment findings will be used to determine the most cost effective means of improving the native wildlife and fish habitats as well as boost the production of Habitat Units to credit the Bonneville Power Administration.  In FY2007, the assessment findings will be used to draft Management Plan that will direct restoration and protection efforts on the acquired properties.  Wetland and stream configurations will be designed as soon as the management plan is written and a restoration concept is chosen.  

Portions of the FY2007 Scope of Work are also designed to continue the efforts of securing and improving landscapes to support hydrologic processes that in turn support native fish populations.