Idaho portion of the Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation project surpassed acreage goal while staying on budget

The Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation project was initiated to mitigate for habitat loss as a result of the construction and inundation related to hydropower development in Southern Idaho, which was assessed at approximately 33,290 acres. Half of the mitigation has been implemented by the state of Idaho and half is being implemented by the Shoshone Bannock and Shoshone Paiute tribes through a separate and ongoing contract.

Land that was formerly agricultural has been restored to wetland habitat on the Camas Creek property, part of the lands acquired under the Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation project. Photo: IDFG

Windy Schoby, Fish and Wildlife Advisor for the Council's Idaho Office, introduced the presentation, saying she was "happy to be able to share a little bit more of a success story where there was an action called upon in the program and in pretty clear terms it has been achieved. And the benefits to wildlife are set up to be realized in perpetuity."

The first wildlife mitigation agreements were enacted in 1997 between BPA and the Shoshone Bannock Tribes, with an additional agreement with the Shoshone Paiute Tribes coming in 2009. In 2010 it was determined that Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) would take responsibility for 50% of the mitigation or approximately 16,600 acres. By 2014 IDFG had acquired nearly 9,000 acres, and the agreement was updated to reflect the acquisition of the remaining 8,600 acres and establish a stewardship fund for mitigation properties.

IDFG Natural Resource Program Coordinator Casey Pozzanghera outlined key points for IDFG's land acquisition strategy, including preserving recreational access, acquiring habitat already identified in state or regional conservation plans, and adding to existing management areas. "There's not really a one-size-fits-all mitigation property," said Pozzanghera.

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Photo: IDFG

IDFG staff biologist Steve Elam, who has been on the project since its inception, was on hand to review the 9 properties acquired. The acquisitions added about 11,096 acres, all of which expanded existing wildlife management areas. The properties serve a variety of purposes, including wildlife habitat and corridors, riparian corridor, winter and transitional range for game species, wetlands, and bird habitat.

To fund ongoing management, IDFG worked with BPA to use stewardship funds to set up an endowment that would provide sufficient interest to fund annual operations and maintenance. The approach has been very successful, to the point where funds are now available for restoration and future acquisition in addition to ongoing stewardship. This mechanism is not available to all parties that have contracts with BPA.

BPA Project Manager Virginia Preiss commended the project for ultimately exceeding the acreage obligation while staying on budget and for taking a collaborative approach to mitigation, saying, "It's rare that we can have this kind of collaboration between a state agency, a federal agency, private landowners who come to us with thoughts on what they want for their properties in perpetuity, and handing it over to these agencies with such high regard...It was a tremendous honor to see this through [to] the end."

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.