Amendment January 2012:  Purpose and Need:

A replacement maintenance/office facility  located at Centennial Marsh was included in a 2011 BOG request for an additional $200,000.  The request for the facility was initially identified in the project proposal submitted to wildlife categorical review - the scope for the new facility was approved as part of the NWPC Council's recommendations, but no BPA funding was initially approved.  This BOG request was reviewed by the Council and BPA staff, with a BPA decision to fund the facility in September 2011.    The purpose of this amendment is to add funds to cover the design and construction of the facility and extend the performance period for this contract to cover the period needed to complete construction and take delivery of the building.   The time extension under this amendment (6-1-12 to 9-15-12) is for the purposes of completing all phases of facility construction.  WE's A ,E, and  I  have been edited and WE J (Other - Design/Construct) has been added ($200,000).   The on-going O&M activities during the period starting on 6-1-12 (for the following 12-months) will be covered under a new O&M contract.  This one-time overlap of contracts is for the exclusive need to complete construction in the summer and fall of 2012 under this (53109) contract.

Background - Centennial Marsh

The 1,361-acre Rice property was acquired with BPA funds on March 15, 2002. The second addition was a two parcel piece from Faulkner Land and Livestock , INC. and Bliss Point Cattle totaling 1,801 acres in on March 20, 2008.   Both will be managed as part of the Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh WMA.  Currently, IDFG is providing cost-share services to manage this project including personnel and operating expenses. This present contract is for  O&M, in conjunction with the management plan. Requested funding is only for those actions necessary to protect BPA's investment in wildlife mitigation.

Historically these 3,162 acres have been farmed and ranched for over 60 years.  Some of the seasonally flooded wetlands have been used for crop production, and the entire property has been used for livestock grazing.  Passive restoration techniques will be emphasized on most of the property.  Some of the former cropland and severely degraded riparian areas may need active restoration for recovery of wildlife habitat to occur in a reasonable length of time.  As a condition of the sale, IDFG must honor a livestock bedding agreement on a small portion of the property.  Some noxious weeds are present and may become a significant management concern if weed infestations that were kept in check by past management practices (i.e. agriculture and grazing) start to increase as management is shifted toward wildlife habitat.  To address these concerns, IDFG is expanding an already extensive noxious weed monitoring effort used on the Camas Prairie WMA and will implement on the Centennial WMA property controls made possible by BPA O&M funding.

Project Goal

Interim protection of BPA's investment in wildlife mitigation on the Centennial Marsh property.

Objectives

1.   Protect wildlife habitat.
2.   Control noxious weeds.
3.   Provide information to public
4.   Remove ditches that are draining wetlands