The Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Program (SIWM) was created to to mitigate for habitat losses in Southern Idaho caused by hydropower development in the Middle and Upper Snake Provinces. In the Middle Snake Province identified habitat losses include Anderson Ranch (9,619 HU), and Black Canyon (2,170 HU). In the Upper Snake Province habitat losses were identified at 37,070 HU for the Palisades Dam (Sather-Blair and Preston 1985) and 10,503 HU for the Minidoka Dam (Martin and Meuleman 1989). The program was created in 1996 with the formation of a working group composed of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDF&G), and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (SBT). The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes joined the program in 2002.

(The NW Power and Conservation recognized Deadwood (7,413 HU) (Martin and Ablin-Stone 1986) as part of its Fish and Wildlife Program wildlife losses in Southern Idaho.  BPA does not recognize this dam's losses as appropriate for BPA mitigation because BPA has determined the facility does not have any power purposes assigned to it under the Federal Columbia Power System - it is an irrigation only facility according to BPA. This is noted to ensure that while work under this contract will directly result in ensuring BPA continues to receive credit for wildlife mitigation for existing properties currently protected under the program and new properties scheduled to be secured in 2011, the HU's secured are not associated with Deadwood.)

Objectives:
The SIWM program was created to meet the objectives for wildlife mitigation outlined in the Fish and Wildlife Program (NPCC 2000), the Project addresses O&M on acquired properties through a Capital Budget within the Accords SIWM for benefit of wildlife and public access:

• Quantify wildlife losses caused by the construction and inundation of the Federal hydropower projects (Operational losses for these dams have not been fully determined.)
• Develop and implement habitat acquisition and enhancement projects to fully mitigate for identified losses.
• Coordinate mitigation activities throughout the basin and with fish mitigation and restoration efforts, specifically by coordinating habitat restoration and acquisition with aquatic habitats to promote connectivity of terrestrial and aquatic areas.
• Maintain existing and create habitat values
• Monitor and evaluate habitat responses to mitigation actions.