The Idaho Department of Fish and Game formed the Albeni Falls Interagency Work Group in 1985 for the purpose of determining wildlife impacts associated with the construction of the Albeni Falls hydroelectric project. Work Group members include the IDFG, the Kalispel Tribe, the Coeur D'Alene Tribe, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Once the loss assessments were completed, the group worked collectively to protect, enhance and partially mitigate wildlife impacts in the Pend Oreille Subbasin. The construction of Albeni Falls Dam resulted in the loss of over 28,000 Habitat Units in wetland and riparian habitat types. These losses occurred exclusively within the Kalispel Ceded Lands. Through the acquisition of property rights (fee title to management agreements), property protection and habitat restoration, the Kalispel Tribe is continuing to mitigate for these losses. This contract provides for the enhancement, O&M and RM&E for the all properties managed by the Kalispel Tribe in this mitigation project, including the Flying Goose Project which had previously been a stand alone project.
The properties acquired to date by the Kalispel Tribe fall into two general categories. Those that are conservation type with limited enhancement work necessary (Beaver Lake, Gamlin Lake and West Branch Priest River) and those that have high potential habitat value but require active enhancement activities to realize their potential (Both Tacoma Creek properties and the 3 Trimble Creek acquisitions). Active enhancement work for this contract period will take place in the Tacoma/Trimble Management Area. This Management Area is 5 miles north of Cusick Washington along Highway 20 in Township 34 North, Range 43 East, Section 36 and Township 33 North, Range 43 East, sections 1,2,11 and12. Management activities include hydraulic restoration, wetland enhancement and vegetation restoration.
Along with active enhancement activities, this contract will provide for the data collection to provide scientific support for the continuance of these types of enhancement activities on additional properties as they become part of the project. This contract will also cover the maintenance of existing habitat value and previously installed structures.