Background

The Boundary Creek Wildlife Management Area was acquired as farmland in 1999, and involved an ongoing effort to restore an approximately 1,200-acre floodplain wetland complex composed of six herbaceous wetland basins.  Restoration efforts include re-establishment of floodplain deciduous forest and shrub land habitats.  The project also serves to protect 205 acres of upland coniferous forest.  The creation of the Boundary Creek Wildlife Management Area was made possible by a consortium of funding partners composed of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Crown Pacific (CP), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), and Kootenai Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF).  BPA was the principal contributor to land acquisition funding, as well as ongoing operation and management funding.  This contribution serves to partially mitigate for wetland impacts associated with construction and operation of Albeni Falls Dam on the Pend Oreille River.  IDFG also contributes to ongoing operation and maintenance funding.

Since the acquisition of the Boundary Creek parcel in 1999, two other parcels have been acquired and will now be managed under the Boundary Creek and Northern Idaho Wildlife Management Areas (Table 1).  In July 2005, a 40-acre Deep Creek wetland parcel was purchased under the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project. This habitat segment is located within the McArthur Lake corridor, identified as one of the most important regional corridors to protect for large-scale animal movements.  In January 2007, IDFG acquired the 620-acre Smith Creek parcel located directly south of the Boundary Creek parcel.  DU donated the Smith Creek parcel to the Department with the understanding that it would be enrolled and managed under the BPA Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project.

Table 1. Boundary Creek and Northern Idaho Wildlife Management Area

Mitigation Property Year Acquired Acres Total Habitat Units
Boundary Creek 1999            1,200 295 (29.8% of total HUs)
Deep Creek 2005 40   40
Smith Creek 2007               620              95 (10% of total HUs)
         Totals        1,860            430

The 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.  This contract for the Boundary Creek and Northern Idaho Wildlife Management Areas covers the operation and maintenance, as well as the research, monitoring and evaluation of the mitigation properties.

All the management and administrative responsibilities for the implementation activities under this SOW are funded through a separate IDF&G Administrative contract #31272.

The project goal is to protect, restore, maintain, and manage wetland, riparian, and upland coniferous forest habitats on the 1,405-acre Boundary Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the 620-acre Smith Creek WMA and the 40-acre Deep Creek Habitat Segment.

• Management of Acquired Lands:  to manage, protect, and enhance wildlife species and their habitats based on sound ecosystem techniques and principles.  To continue operation and maintenance activities on project lands.

• Monitoring and Evaluation:  to monitor vegetative cover and habitats using scientific principals and techniques to ensure that project objectives are being met and to provide a basis for use of adaptive management when appropriate.  To evaluate species and habitat responses to management activities for the benefit of fish and wildlife using mitigation lands.

•Enhancement and Restoration:  to implement sound ecosystem management to enhance and/or restore degraded habitats on project lands over time.