Have Your Say about Idaho’s Wildlife Management Areas

May 15–JEROME — If you recreate in one of the six wildlife management areas in the Magic Valley, consider reviewing their proposed management plans.

They detail efforts to fight an influx of Russian olive trees in Billingsley Creek WMA, kill noxious weeds in Big Cottonwood WMA and replant native grasses on the Camas Prairie, for example.

You have until June 10 to submit your comments.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game recently released proposed management plans for the state’s 32 WMA’s for a 30-day public review and comment period.

The plans are revised periodically to reflect changes in habitat and to identify new management priorities, said Mark Fleming, Jerome-based regional wildlife habitat manager.

“The last one we did was in 1999. So they are relatively long-term plans,” Fleming said.

Once the management plans are finalized, Fleming said, they will be in effect for at least a decade. The one conducted in 1999 lasted for 15 years.

“This one could easily be as long at that,” Fleming said.

The 32 WMA’s in Idaho vary from 275 acres to more than 124,000 acres. Some include big game winter range; others focus on wetland landscapes. The six in the Magic Valley: Camas Prairie/Centennial Marsh WMA, Carey Lake WMA, Billingsley Creek WMA, Hagerman WMA, Niagara Springs WMA and Big Cottonwood WMA.

“Putting these plans together started two years ago. They went out and solicited public comment. The plans have been developed based on public comment we received, along with internal management goals,” Fleming said.

Fish and Game officials solicited public comments from meetings held in March and April of 2012 in Hailey, Burley, Jerome and Hagerman. They also had an online survey available from February to December 2012 on the department’s website.

“We have a lot of use in our WMA’s in this region. We’ll hear from the public throughout the year. If they have an opinion, they’ll just pick up the phone and call us at the regional office,” Fleming said.

He said the plans for the six WMA’s in Magic Valley don’t propose big changes.

“One of the biggest challenges for our managers is that we have a lot of different types of uses on the WMA’s, and we are trying to balance those uses while managing the resources. It is always the big challenge,” he said.

Noxious weeds are an issue in Niagara Springs, Billingsley and Hagerman WMA’s.

Weeds are displacing desirable vegetation that would otherwise provide a higher quality of wildlife habitat, says the Niagara Springs management plan from Fish and Game. One issue officials want to tackle is an influx of Russian olive trees. Though they provide escape and winter cover for upland birds and mule deer, the trees also reduce the habitat value as they form a dense monoculture that outcompetes desirable native species. In addition, these dense stands are nearly impenetrable and hang over open waters. The reports says it leads to blockages and slowing of the streamflow, which leads to silt deposition and degradation of trout spawning habitat.

Reducing the density of Russian olive trees in Billingsley Creek WMA was an issue identified by both the public and Fish and Game.

The department has experimented with removing Russian olives using a masticating machine. This equipment consists of rotating heads attached to an excavator boom that grinds the trees and scatters the shredded materials on the surrounding ground.

“A Russian olive tree removal plan will be developed for the BCWMA that includes selected removal of Russian olive trees and restoration of those areas back to desirable plant communities,” the report states.

On the Big Cottonwood WMA, several state-declared noxious weeds are present including Canada thistle, whitetop and houndstongue. Steps to eliminating noxious weeds on the Camas Prairie/Centennial Marsh are also outlined in the plan. Sections of grassland on the Camas Prairie will be targeted for replanting to native grass/forb species, which the public and the department say should be more abundant.

Dennis Newman, regional habitat biologist for Fish and Game, visited Niagara Springs on May 5.

“This area is highly used,” Newman said. “It’s used year-round. … As far as WMA’s go, (Niagara, Billingsley and Hagerman) are not large WMA’s. These three just have such high public use.”

Because of Niagara Springs’ proximity to Twin Falls, he said, a number of people go there to hunt, fish and day trip. The key is balancing between people who come to hike or horseback ride and those who come to hunt and fish — all while trying to protect the natural resources.

For example, because Hagerman is a resting refuge for wintering migratory waterfowl, Fish and Game is continuing to evaluate the impacts of limited youth waterfowl hunting this year, in conjunction with other uses on the WMA, the management report says.

In Billingsley Creek, Newman said, part of the plan is to improve access.

Some of the solutions include putting up better signage and eliminating pipelines that make the area hard to access. The Billingsley Creek Unit of Thousand Springs State Park, which is managed by Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, is adjacent to the Billingsley Creek WMA. Having the two areas near each other often creates a problem for visitors trying to figure out the boundaries and rules associated with the two areas. To address accessibility, the old pipeline will be replaced with a new one to be located on the bottom of the creek bed. That project is scheduled for the winter of 2014.

The original deadline for public comment was May 20, but it was extended to June 10 to enable more participation. But no matter the time of year, Newman said, the public is encouraged to voice concerns by contacting Fish and Game.

“I just encourage people to contact me or stop by the regional office in Jerome. Amazingly, we get just as many good comments as bad. It’s nice to hear that,” Newman said.