The Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area (SFWA) was approved as a wildlife mitigation project in 1992 and was re-approved for operations and maintenance (O&M) funding in 2002 as part of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's (NPCC) Provincial /Sub-basin Planning Process.  This project is located within the Columbia Plateau Province (Crab Creek Sub-basin) and partially addresses adverse impacts caused by the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee hydroelectric dams.  Wildlife habitat protection and enhancement efforts to meet mitigation objectives have been underway since 1995 on the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area.  Continued operation and maintenance activities funded by BPA are necessary to maintain and enhance wildlife habitat benefits and to ensure BPA's mitigation obligation is met.  These activities are essential to further the goal of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect and enhance shrub-steppe and other habitats necessary to recover and sustain populations of pygmy rabbits, sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse.  

Management actions planned for FY12 include continued weed control on all units plus shrub-steppe restoration and maintenance activities on up to 205 acres of former agricultural fields including mowing, summer fallowing and seeding and interseeding as needed.  Approximately 80 acres on the Bridgeport Unit will be seeded in the fall of 2012 with a mixture of native grasses.  On the Dormaier Unit, mowing will be necessary to reduce the encroachment of sagebrush into the field reseeded in 2007.  We anticipate mowing this area 1-2 times this FY.  This fiscal year we will contract the restoration work of the Sagebrush Flat field with Benson Farms. Roads, fences, parking areas and signs will be maintained, repaired and replaced as needed.  Debris and garbage will be removed and disposed.  We will continue working on etnon-BPA funded restoration project on the Bridgeport Unit.  This project will convert approximately 300 acres of marginal habitat to native grasses and forbs.  Funding for this effort is from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office.  Other quotidian tasks will be performed as needed or required.