The Colville Tribes’ Wildlife Mitigation Project currently manages approximately 62,100 acres of wildlife habitat within the boundary of the Colville Indian Reservation.  This on-going project has been proposed to manage the operation and maintenance (O&M) and the administration operations to protect the Wildlife Management Areas (MA) from loss in habitat quality or "credits."  During this contract period, the project will provide direction and personnel to ensure the protection of the habitat values through fence construction and maintenance, livestock removal, law enforcement strategies, coordination with BIA and the Colville Business Council, provide input on code revisions, road maintenance, management plans, and through the management of invasive species including noxious weeds.

During this upcoming contract year, fence lines will continue to be constructed along the perimeter of the North Omak Lake Management Area.  In addition, new fence line construction surrounding the Wanacut Basin MA will begin.  Fence lines will also be reconstructed in areas where they have been damaged due to wildfires, livestock, tree blow down, or other factor.  Many MAs still have interior fence lines that prove to be a hindrance for wildlife and also a safety hazard and will be removed when scheduling allows.

Although domestic livestock trespass continues to be an active issue, a marked increase in feral horses on the Colville Reservation is a larger threat.  The Project attempts to limit these threats through fencing, coordination with livestock operators and BIA Land Operations, and direct removal.  Mitigation managed properties are routinely surveyed for trespass and removal strategies are developed on a case-by-case basis.

Roads within and leading into our Management Areas are very primitive and are largely unmaintained by other agencies.  The Wildlife Mitigation Project, in turn, has had to maintain the access roads and internal roads with our own equipment and personnel.  Road maintenance ensures that Project equipment life does not expire prematurely.  Personnel safety is another reason we perform maintenance on the roads.

The Wildlife Mitigation Project’s Invasive Species sub-division will focus on the removal, containment, and overall reduction of invasive species and noxious weed infestations within the Wildlife MAs.  Numerous sites within our MAs contain "Class B," "Class B Designate," and "Class C" noxious weeds.  To date, our surveys for noxious weed species have not revealed any "Class A" weeds.  During this contract period, attempts to limit, control, or eliminate noxious weeds will occur using numerous methods including: herbicide application, Bio-control methods, vegetation removal, competition strategies, and prescribed burning.