Background

The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Act) of 1980 (Public Law 96-501) directed that measures be implemented by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife to the extent affected by development and operation of hydropower projects on the Columbia River system (Martin et al. 1988).  The Act created the Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Council (Council), which in turn developed the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (Program). Under the Act, BPA has the authority and obligation to fund fish and wildlife mitigation activities that are consistent with the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program (USDE 1996).

Part of the Program was the development of wildlife protection, mitigation and enhancement plans for each of the hydropower facilities on the Columbia River system and ultimately, implementation of the plans to mitigate wildlife habitat losses.  The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) developed a mitigation plan in 1987 for the Albeni Falls hydroelectric facility that was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) on the Pend Oreille River in Bonner County, Idaho between 1951 and 1955 (Martin et al. 1988).  Mitigation plans for wildlife habitat losses at each of the Columbia River Basin dams were submitted by BPA to the Council in 1989, including the mitigation plan for Albeni Falls Dam in Idaho (USDE 1996).  The Council reviewed and approved the Albeni Falls plan in 1990 (USDE 1996).

BPA prepared the Albeni Falls Wildlife Management Plan: Environmental Assessment in 1996.  The plan guides the development of wildlife mitigation projects associated with Albeni Falls Dam proposed by the IDFG and the Albeni Falls Interagency Work Group, approved by the Council, and proposed for funding by BPA.  The plan enables the IDFG and the Kalispel, Coeur d'Alene, and Kootenai Indian Tribes to:  1) Protect and enhance through land acquisition, a variety of wetland and riparian habitats; 2) Restore 28,587 Habitat Units (HUs) lost as a result of the construction of Albeni Falls Dam, and; 3) Conduct long-term wildlife habitat management activities at individual mitigation project sites (USDE 1996).  In-lieu of annualizing habitat unit losses the Council decided to mitigate losses at a 2:1 ratio. That is, for every two HUs protected the HU ledger would be reduced by one HU. In 2002, however, BPA decided to maintain a 1:1 crediting policy.  

The Northern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Agreement was jointly prepared and approved by the IDFG and BPA in June 1997 (BPA and IDFG 1997).  This Idaho Department of Fish and Game administrative contract assumes the responsibility of collecting, maintaining and forwarding to BPA any and all documentation pertaining to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance measures that must be undertaken prior to the start of implementation activities occurring on wildlife mitigation sites.

The project goal is to continue ongoing implementation of the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project.  This contract has been developed to cover personnel and operating costs for a 12-month contract period with the following objectives:

• Identify potential mitigation actions by identifying willing landowner participants and cost-sharing partnerships, building relationships with entities interested in wildlife mitigation and meeting with County Commissioners.
• Secure conservation easements, fee-title, and lease agreements by pursuing site information and title search, writing easement terms and conditions with landowners, verifying maps, fence boundaries, and legal descriptions, coordinating completion of property appraisal and review, and developing option/purchase agreements.
• Fulfill NEPA and BPA funding requirements by coordinating completion of cultural resource surveys, hazardous waste surveys and providing information for NEPA assessment.
• Provide cost-share funding to other project entities by determining cost-share entity’s role in the proposed project.
• Coordinate ongoing efforts by AVISTA Utilities to mitigate the effects of Cabinet Gorge Dam in the Clark Fork areas.  Coordination will likely include the identification of habitat sites suitable for partnership funding and providing technical assistance.
• Coordinate completion of biological baseline surveys of specific habitat areas to determine starting point for monitoring and evaluation of biological objectives.
• Develop management plans that will include, but not be limited to, the following components:  fish and wildlife habitat, recreation and access, fire protection noxious weeds, information and education, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation.  The management plans will define the management program.
• Coordinate enhancement activities defined in the individual site plans.  Activities may include, but are not limited to, fencing, controlled burns, planting native vegetation, property clean up, and cultivating cropland.
• Coordinate operations and maintenance activities on mitigation project lands. Activities may include maintenance of fences, property and habitat improvements, access, water structures, and information and education facilities, enforcement of easement terms, and noxious weed control.
• Coordinate and implement information and education program.  Activities may include development of information and regulation signs and interpretive sites, production of audio-visual programs and informational brochures, and educational site tours.
• Provide assistance with monitoring and evaluation activities on mitigation lands.  Activities may include continuing HEP analysis to determine changes in habitat quality, site-specific monitoring and/or sampling of terrestrial vegetation, public use, and habitat use.
• Coordinate mitigation implementation activities associated with the Albeni Falls Interagency Work Group (AFIWG), such as preparing for and at times facilitating work group meetings, coordinating open houses and public outreach efforts, assisting project proponents with the development of project proposals and coordinating annual funding proposals and budget projections.
• Coordinate and develop Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project presentations to the Wildlife Caucus.  Such materials may include slides, overheads, budgets, spreadsheets, site-specific information, etc.
• Develop administrative work statement and budget and maintain site-specific operating budgets for individual mitigation parcels.  Oversee and develop budget revisions as necessary.
• Coordinate with the Work Group the development of an annual report of Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation implementation activities.