This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button Select “Meeting Minder” Select the “Action Items” tab Type in action items as they come up Click OK to dismiss this box This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered. Nez Perce Tribe Protecting and Restoring Watersheds in Southeast Washington Watershed Division Involvement

The Nez Perce Tribe is Actively Involved in: Protect & Restore the Asotin Creek Watershed: road decommissioning and stream restoration (#00011067) Snake River Salmon Recovery Board Watershed Planning Subbasin Planning

Umatilla National Forest Road Decommissioning Southeast Washington Protect & Restore The Asotin Creek Watershed Project Areas Lick Creek 2003 Charley Creek 2004 Umatilla National Forest

Asotin Creek Watershed Asotin Creek is a fourth order tributary to the Snake River which drains approximately 325 square miles of Asotin and Garfield Counties in the southeast corner of Washington. Asotin Creek originates in the Blue Mountains and drains an area of 208,000 acres. Major tributaries to Asotin Creek include Lick Creek as well as Charley Creek. Asotin Creek is home to bull trout, summer steelhead and spring chinook. Charley Creek, an upper tributary, has some of the highest densities of juvenile steelhead in southeastern Washington according to local WDFW fisheries surveys

Project Area Umatilla National Forest

Cooperation A cooperative project with the Umatilla National Forest (UNF), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDF&W), Asotin County Conservation District (ACCD) and private landowners 50/50 cost share with the Umatilla National Forest Permission to work on state land by WDF & W Expansion of Nez Perce Tribe’s watershed improvement programs that evolved in the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests Nez Perce Tribe’s first watershed improvement cooperative project in southeast Washington

Background PROBLEM: High stream temperatures, sediment deposition in spawning and rearing areas and lack of suitable pools are factors limiting salmonid production as identified by sub-basin planning. REMEDY: Reduce sediment entering the stream and restore proper hydrologic function to areas impacted by forest roads in both Lick and Charley Creek areas in addition to creating pools and stabilizing stream banks in the Charley Creek area. GOAL: Reduced sediment intrusion, increased pool numbers and stabilized stream banks, all to restore sustainable, naturally producing salmonid populations to support tribal and non-tribal harvest and cultural and economic practices while protecting the biological integrity and genetic diversity of these species.

THE PROCESS Road Decommissioning We survey the roads looking for problem areas We prescribe treatments for those areas We prioritize the work to be performed The road is re-contoured, scarified and/or closed Disturbed areas are planted with native grass seed We monitor and evaluate the results

Machine Work

Road Recontour

Obliteration

Planting Native Seed 35% Mountain Brome, 35% Blue Wildrye, 30% Idaho Fescue

Lick Creek: 28.5 miles of road surveyed (red)

THE RESULTS Lick Creek: 21.3 miles decommissioned, 7.2 abandoned

Monitoring After the work is completed: Photo point monitoring in areas randomly chosen plus several in areas with unique aspects, drainage patterns and/or increased failure potential Based on USDA Forest Service Monitoring Handbook Joint project with UNF and Nez Perce Tribe First years data in progress One, two, five and ten year intervals

Charley Creek: High priority listed salmonid habitat stream Cooperatively, we can protect and restore it

Charley Creek 2004 19 miles of road surveyed – all to be decommissioned 5 stream banks to be repaired & stabilized Minimum of 9 pools to be created with addition of LWD and rock In progress

Involvement in other planning processes............

Snake River Recovery Board Coordinates and oversees the development of a salmon recovery plan that addresses: Hydropower Hatcheries Habitat Harvest

Snake River Salmon Recovery Region

The Recovery Plan

Watershed Planning (WRIA) #35 The Tribe is cooperating with local representatives to develop and implement a watershed plan for the beneficial management of water resources to balance the present and future needs of local communities, agriculture and industries including FISH and WILDLIFE Our Working Area

Subbasin Planning Asotin, Tucannon and Lower Snake Will identify the goals for fish, wildlife and habitat, establish the strategies to meet those objectives, and define the objectives that measure progress towards the goal. The plan will incorporate all existing information related to fish and wildlife activities in a subbasin into a single document The three main parts of a subbasin plan are: Inventory: gathers all currently available info on the subbasin Assessment: technical analysis of the info to determine biological potential and opportunities for restoration Management Plan: the subbasin vision, biological objectives, strategies, and both short and long term budget for implementation The Tribe was instrumental in the development of the draft plan for the three sub-basins

THE FUTURE Additional 2 years of road decommissioning Charley Creek Road decommissioning in South Fork Asotin & George Creek Road decommissioning in Tucannon watershed & all WDF&W land Fish passage barrier surveys - public and private lands Cooperative cattle exclusion projects with UNF & WDF&W Riparian enhancement, weed control Rehabilitation of a complete watershed (Steptoe) Cooperative projects between three conservation districts, two government agencies, two tribes and a host of private individuals