he Asotin Creek Wildlife Area is divided into two units that are located in Asotin and Garfield Counties.  The lower unit is centered around George Creek and is approximately 12,000 acres in size.  The lower Schlee and Bickford units which are BPA funded comprise 5,600 acres of the lower portion of the wildlife area.  The upper unit is centered around the North and South Forks of Asotin Creek and is approximately 20,000 acres is size.  The upper Schlee purchase is approximately 5,500 acres is size and is centered in the Smoothing Iron Ridge Area.

The lower BPA funded units are comprised of steep canyons and is predominately a shrub/steppe habitat type.  The area was traditionally used for livestock production and dry land farming.  The land has several problems associated with that type of long-term management - mainly noxious weeds and degraded riparian management zones.  Noxious weeds are mainly controlled by chemical measures and application is difficult in the steep terrain.

The upper BPA funded unit is again comprised of steep canyons with farm fields on top of the ridges.  Steep canyons with timbered North facing slopes are common while South facing slopes are usually a shrub/steppe habitat type.  Noxious weed problems, boundary fence issues, and facility maintenance are the main issues associated with the upper unit.

Overall management objectives are to reduce noxious weed populations on the upper and lower units and rehabilitate riparian zones.  WDFW also would like to maintain existing facilities such as the main buildings on Smoothing Iron Ridge and associated water systems for fire protection, wildlife water, and a source of water for weed control efforts.  

In July 2021, virtually all of the upper Schlee acquisition burned in the Lick Creek Wildfire.  The fire was caused by lightning and ignited a dry landscape that had intense periods of high temperatures and no precipitation in the previous month.  The fire was wind-driven and rapidly became a landscape level event that eventually consumed approximately 80,000 acres of WDFW, USFS, DNR, and private lands.  The fire burned at varying intensities across the landscape and that fire behavior was very evident on BPA project lands.  All shrub-steppe hillside areas burned along with north exposure timber stands, native grass plantings, and other native grassland habitats.  No buildings were burned though there was some damage to water system infrastructure, wildlife guzzlers.  Some boundary fences adjacent to USFS lands were completely destroyed in the intense heat, particularly where the fences crossed timber stands.  Very wet weather conditions in the Spring of 2022 have helped vegetation regrow in burned areas.  Some aerial weed control was necessary to control emerging scotch thistles and other invasive broad leaf weeds.  

The 475 acres of native grass and forbs has become well established to produce a grassland environment consistent with surrounding native habitats.   Some weed control activities such as spot spraying and mechanical mowing may be necessary to maintain health of the grass stand.

Several small fields totaling approximately 250 acres are annually seeded to annual crops used a food source and attractant for elk at Smoothing Iron Ridge.  Approximately 50 acres are seeded to winter wheat each fall and around 75 - 100 acres are seeded to either oats or spring wheat every spring.  Remaining fields are fallowed every summer to control weed species and preserve soil moisture.    

431 acres enrolled in USDA's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was re-enrolled in the program in 2021.  The enrolled lands will remain in CRP until the contract expires in 2031.  WDFW intends to work with the CRP contract operator to control noxious weeds and ensure survival of young pine trees planted at the west end of the enrolled fields at Smoothing Iron Ridge.  The Lick Creek Fire severely damaged many of the young pine trees and WDFW will be working with the operator to replant the trees if necessary.  

Continue monitoring for Spalding's Catchfly, which is a federally listed plant, monitoring efforts will be funded by BPA and will continue into the future.  

The staff on the Asotin Creek Wildlife Area consists of a Wildlife Area Manager, a Fish and Wildlife Biologist 2, two Natural Resource Tech 2's, and a Natural Resource Specialist 2.  Additionally, the Department benefits from having two summer interns working partially on the BPA funded portion of the wildlife area.  The interns are from the University of Idaho.   The manager, bio-2, specialist 2 and Natural Resource Tech 2 positions are only partially funded under BPA since the BPA lands are merged with State funded lands associated with the Asotin Creek Wildlife Area.