Natural resources, including flora and fauna have shaped the culture of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho (Tribe or KTOI) for thousands of years. The aboriginal territories of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho people were far reaching with traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering activities extending into British Columbia, Western Montana, and all of Northern Idaho (Ktunaxa Nation; Century of Survival 1990).

From time immemorial, Lake Pend Oreille, Kootenai River and the surrounding landscape provided essential hunting and fishing, gathering, and cultural resources to members of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho. Kootenai elders speak of the Lake Pend Oreille area with reverence and state “there’s not a place that Kootenai feet did not touch” (R. Abraham, pers. comm.). Oral traditions of the Kootenai’s describe water travel, camps, cultural sites and footpaths interspersed throughout this area, where these same trail systems were documented by early explorers such as David Thompson. In 1809, David Thompson arrived near the mouth of the Clark Fork River that enters Lake Pend Oreille, where he encountered a large encampment of approximately 80 men and families which included “54 Saleesh, 23 Skeetshoo, and four Kootenaes” (Thompson 1916).

Coordination and cooperation between all Federal and State agencies and Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) will ensure Albeni Falls wildlife mitigation activities are consistent with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's (NPCC) Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The purpose of this work statement is to provide funds to the Tribe for the implementation of Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project 1992-061-05 (Project). The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho project work statement and process follows the newly adopted Fish and Wildlife Program (NPCC 2020 Addendum) by focusing its efforts on the mitigation of fish and wildlife losses attributable to the development (construction and inundation [C&I]), operation and management of the Columbia River Basin hydroelectric facilities. This project will also complement, support and integrate ongoing and future fisheries, wildlife and ecological studies in the Kootenai River Basin. Through fee-title acquisition, management plans, habitat enhancements/improvements and restoration, KTOI endeavors to mitigate the negative impacts to cultural resources, wildlife species and habitat losses attributed to the C&I of the Albeni Falls hydroelectric project. In the future, KTOI will assess, and pursue BPA agreements to mitigate operational losses of the Albeni Falls within their aboriginal territory (Century of Survival 1990; Thompson 1916).

In association with the Albeni Fall Wildlife Mitigation Project (199206105), the Operational Loss/KROME Project (200201100) plays a critical role in the understanding, assessment, mitigation, restoration and evaluation of regulated hydro-facility impacts to floodplain ecosystem services and ecological functions (e.g., Albeni Falls Dam in Clark Fork and Pend Oreille River Watersheds; Libby Dam in the Kootenai River Watershed). In coordination of the Operational Loss/KROME (2002-11-00) project, Albeni Falls project (1992-061-05), and the Kootenai Tribal Wildlife Division, KTOI compliments the holistic management of natural resources of wildlife mitigation areas by assessing, protecting, enhancing, restoring, reconstructing, and evaluating large river system fish and wildlife floodplain, wetland, and riparian habitat communities.

This contract has been developed to ensure project viability and integrity through the provision of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (RM&E) to ensure ecologically sound scientific support of management activities on current and future mitigation lands. In addition, this contract will provide for administrative functions as well as Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of new and existing structures and improvements on mitigation properties.  This contract will cover costs associated with but not limited to personnel, equipment, enhancement and restoration (portions funded under #200201100) for an 18 month contract period.