STOI DNR Update-April 2023

Lake Roosvelt Fisheries Program

Activity Highlights

• Gave a tour of Lake Roosevelt to BPA Leadership.
• Began Northern Pike Suppression in Lake Roosevelt
• Net Pen Fish Health Checks
• Began release of Chinook smolts.
• Boat maintenance and prep
• Freshwater Mussel survey prep
• Salmon Recovery Conference
• Spokane River Forum

Project Highlights/Status

• Project staff continue annual suppression and removal of Northern Pike from Lake Roosevelt.
• Staff began releasing Chinook smolts through the Phase 2 Implementation Plan.
• Project staff attended the Salmon Recovery Conference and gave presentations.
• Staff presented several times at the Spokane River Forum.
• Staff submitted pre-application proposal for the America the Beautiful Contest grant program.
• Staff completed several resolution and equipment purchases.
• Continuing annual water quality monitoring surveys and data collection.
• Staff were informed of receiving the Invasive Species Award for Northern Pike Suppression from BIA.
• Received PIT Tags to prepare for marking/tagging study on Rainbow Trout.

Grants Report
The General Fund does not provide any support for Spokane Tribal Fisheries work. All Projects are 100% funded by external awards and grants.

PROGRAM	FUND #	PURPOSE	AWARD	STATUS
LR Cost Share	5601-1234	LR Costs shared with other agencies	$75,480	Current
BPA LR Data Collection	5711-1241	Impact Mitigation	$2,000,000	Current
BPA LR Northern Pike Suppression	5712-1321	Impact Mitigation	$491,537	Current
BPA LR White Sturgeon Recovery	5719-1235	Impact Mitigation	$893,280	Current
BIA Northern Pike Invasive	4414-1321	Invasive Species Removal	$71,910	Current
BIA Northern Pike Invasive	4414-1321	FY23 Invasive Species Removal	$200,000	Awarded
BIA Tribal Youth Initiative	4414-1319	Engage Tribal Youth in Natural Resources	$35,792	Current
BIA Sturgeon Translocation	4412-1235	Support for White Sturgeon Recovery	$47,660	Current
BIA Water Reuse Project	4414-1396	Water reuse improvements at hatchery	$1,640,460	Current
BIA Fish Health Project	4414-1398	Fish pump & counter equipment	$101,439	Current
BOR Water Reuse Project	4449-1398	Water reuse improvements at hatchery	$500,000	Current
BCHydro White Sturgeon Recovery	2052-1369	White sturgeon genetics survey	$125,066	Current
EPA Columbia River Restoration	5420-1393	Contaminant Status & Movement survey	$262,500	Current
BOR Invasive Species Monitoring	Pending	Lake Roosevelt invasive species monitoring	$100,000	Pending
		TOTAL:	$6,548,124

Budget Status

• None overspent.

Community Engagement Activity Highlights

• Preparing for Student Discovery Week in May.
• Preparing for Glover Middle School (80) students for fisheries tour and Spokane Tribal history discussion.
• Participated in regional coordination meetings included:
  • Lake Roosevelt Annual Co-managers meeting
  • Columbia Basin Collaborative group
  • Northwest Power and Conservation Council
  • Blocked Area Anadromous Working Group

Personnel Status

• Need 3 full-time Fisheries Technicians: One position closed on April 26.
• Need 2 seasonal Fisheries Technicians. Document submitted, awaiting posting by HR.
• Habitat Biologist needed to support the development of a Lead Entity. Position will be split between the LE and Fisheries, supporting existing habitat restoration work the Tribe is performing. Position Description and advertising in late April early May

Challenges/Actions

• Future grant opportunities are hindered due to staffing and space requirements.

Future Projects

• White Sturgeon food habits: BPA funded.
• Spontaneous autopolyploid testing of hatchery White Sturgeon; BPA Funded
• Analysis of genetic diversity produced from our repatriation program; BPA funded.
• Walleye and Sculpin Predation of juvenile White Sturgeon; BPA funded.
• Mark/Tag study of Rainbow Trout recruitment to Creel; BPA funded.
• Redband Trout Habitat Assessment; BPA funded.
• Hatchery Water re-use improvement: BOR/BIA funded; RFP Posted for vendors.
• Spokane River Arm Native Mussel Assessment; BPA Funded.
• Bureau of Reclamation Aquatic Invasive Species Project; Pending BOR funding.

Spokane Tribal Hatchery

Activity Highlights 

• March-April released 2,000 triploid rainbow trout ranging from 1 to 3 lbs each below Little Falls Dam.  
• April – Stocked Turtle, Benjamin and McCoys Lake with 2,000 triploid rainbow trout, Ford Mill Pond with 230 triploid rainbow trout.  Trout stocked averaged 2.5 lb each.      
• Fish production @ 48,000 triploid rainbow trout yearlings; 720,000 triploid rainbow trout fingerlings. 
• Stocked tagged fish in reservation lakes for 2023 Spokane Tribal Fishing Derby 

Project Highlights/Status 

• Obtained $12,000 sponsorship for providing 2023 Spokane Tribal Hatchery prizes.  Sponsors include Spokane Tribal Business Council, Spokane Tribal Health and Human Services Department, Water Resources/Avista Mitigation Program and Spokane Tribal Hatchery Program. 

Grants Report 

• BPA Cooperative Agreement Contract #91382 for Jan-Dec 2023 Hatchery O&M @ $1,065,473; BIA FY’23 Hatchery O&M @ $85,381; BIA Hatchery Cyclical Maintenance TBD.   BPA funding is for Federal Columbia River Power System mitigation obligations/objectives.  BIA funding is for Federal Government Tribal natural resources trust responsibilities/support. Program is compliant with funding agency requirements. 

Budget Status 

• Good, budgets are in line with planned expenditures, no major over expenditures.   

Community Engagement Activity Highlights 

• Facilitation of 2023 Spokane Tribal Fishing Derby. 
• Weekly student and visitor tours.  
• The hatchery is open for visitation Monday through Friday, 7 am to 3 pm.   
• Fish releases planned and actual posted on Spokane Tribal Hatchery Facebook site and shared with Rawhide and other social media outlets associated with fishing Lake Roosevelt.   

Personnel Status 

• Hatchery program fully staffed, 7 FTE all Spokane Tribal Members.  There are no vacant positions.  

Challenges/Actions 

• The hatchery employs prudent standard hatchery practices and utilizes up to date/innovative aquaculture techniques to work toward meeting its annual production goals of providing 750,000 triploid trout to Lake Roosevelt Net Pens, releasing 40,000 triploid trout in the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt and stocking 5,000 triploid trout in reservation lakes. 

Future Projects 

• Retrofitting hatchery water reuse module to partial reuse aquaculture system with BIA and Bureau of Reclamation climate change funding.  
• Spring cleanup, hatchery facilities and grounds.    

 

Spokane Tribal Park Rangers

Activity Highlights 

   The Ranger department has been actively monitoring the north boundary of the reservation as the state Turkey season is open. The lake level has been stable at 1242 feet and Rangers continue to monitor the drawdown for ARPA violations.  Shoreline anglers are increasing and walleye, bass and trout are being caught. All NPS boat ramps are out of water and the A Frame Launch allows tribal members boating/Fishing access. A few tribal turkey hunters have been checked I the field.  Firearms training qualification will occur today, one ranger is one scheduled leave and will shoot on the makeup day next week. Attended an 8 hr. Tribal Eagle summit webinar. All rangers passed the test and received certificate for the Criminal jurisdiction training last month.  

Community Engagement Activity Highlights 

The Annual Tribal Fishing derby starts tomorrow, this includes four inland lakes that will be closely monitored and regulations enforced for the duration of the derby. 

Personnel Status 

Seasonal Park Maintenance employee has returned and is preparing the campgrounds for the summer season. The Swim dock at Maggie Shoupes has been completely removed as is was beyond repair. 

Challenges/Actions 

• Sir 0386 has been in the shop for a week needing repair for power steering failure. It should be done within a day of this report.  The jet boat is still on track to be repaired by the middle of next month.
• The new Silverado is in for outfitting of radio and lighting and should be in service soon. 

 

Wildlife & Timber Fish and Wildlife Programs

Wildlife 

During the month of April, the wildlife program conducted its annual grouse surveys. Two surveys were conducted one on April 13th and the next on April 20th. Grouse surveys provide data on ruffed grouse counts and estimates of abundance. Turkeys are also counted during the surveys. The wildlife program also continues to improve our Chronic wasting disease management plan and submitted our quarterly report to the USDA APHIS for our Chronic wasting disease grant received in 2022. The wildlife program also participated in the annual wildlife committee retreat looking into regulations for the upcoming big game season. Trail cameras were checked which monitor wolf activity on the reservation. Looking into the summer field season, continuing work on ArcGIS to map more habitat survey data points.  

 Wildlife Mitigation 

April has been a busy month for the program. We have planted 71 acres of spring cover crops. These cover crops included an Oats/ Barley mix, oats, Spring Wheat, and Canola/ Pea/ Radish Mix. Weather permitting, we will continue planting on the Westend WMA’s. Our irrigation pivot on the Anderson property has been running to provide supplemental water to our Alfalfa Pivot. Boundary fencing maintenance has been another focal point of the program, this allows Mitigation properties to be utilized by the wildlife by excluding feral animals. Staff participated in the annual grouse surveys. The Program has been facing equipment break downs, but have been fixing them in a timely manner. The program planted 200 beaked hazelnut trees both on and off Mitigation properties to increase forage and wildlife habitat. 

TFW 

The timber, fish, and wildlife program continued work to monitor timber harvest activities on private and state lands within the Tribe’s Usual & Accustomed area. This included review of 17 Forest Practices Applications and 3 Water Type Modifications in Stevens, Spokane, and Lincoln counties. This work helped to achieve adequate natural resource protections and compliance with state regulations. Additionally, the program continued its collaboration with the Washington Forest Practices Adaptive Management Program (AMP) through participation in the Scientific Advisory Group Eastside (SAGE), the Instream Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG), the Cooperative Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Committee (CMER), and the Washington State Forest Practices Board. Participation involved representation in meetings as well as review of AMP documents, including revisions to the Forest Practices Board Manual Section 21 – Guidelines for Alternate Plans. Revisions to Section 21 will improve guidance for landowners who wish to develop management prescriptions that will achieve resource protection through alternative methods from those prescribed in the forest practices rules.   

 

Range Program

The Range program continued prepping for the field season by installing gates on pens and corrals, maintaining vehicles, and getting ready for the open range grazing season. We also set up several sagebrush seeding trials throughout the Cayuse burn area and Riverbreaks, which will be used to determine suitable sagebrush restoration sites for future projects. We worked with the Wildlife program to plant over 240 native trees and shrubs, including Beaked Hazelnut and Water Birch in draws and riparian areas. Noxious weed mapping has started for the year, beginning with a collaborative mapping effort with several other agencies to map Flowering Rush, a class A Noxious Weed, on Lake Roosevelt.  

 

Air Quality

Activity Highlights 

• Monthly calls with National Tribal Air Association as Region 10 representative for WA, ID, and OR Tribes. Two representatives per Air Quality Region (EPA map) 
• 2023 EPA Residential Wood Heating Training Workshop – Hybrid Training – April 11th through 13th 
• Smoke Management in the Northwest – Seattle, WA – APRIL 18th through 20th 
• Radon Poster Contest for Radon Action Month. Participate with Nez Perce, WA, ID, and OR. Completing the last steps by reviewing poster contest entries and choosing winners. 

 Project Highlights/Status 

• Met a few members form other tribal programs which will increase contact list on future problems or collaborations. 

 Grants Report 

• List grants you have, the grant award amount, what the grant is being used to complete, and status of compliance with funding agency. Work has been steady for all the included programs, and work plans remain on schedule. 
• Clean Air Act (CAA) 103 
• $190,000 
• American Rescue Plan Grant (ARP) 
• $51,750 
• Monitor replacement for Spokane Tribe 
• State Indoor Radon Grant (SIRG) 
• $31,000 
• Radon Work 

 Budget Status 

• SIRG was originally for 40k this year but was reduced by 9k before reward. Was informed after budgets went through. Budgets modified but are on track at this time.  
• Update: SIRG received more funding and will increase provided amount to the program by an additional 4k. 

 Community Engagement Activity Highlights 

• No updates for this section. 

 Personnel Status 

Currently the program just has one position with the current workload. As larger grants are being brought to our attention we hope to add more work with additional Personnel but these grants have not been written.  

Challenges/Actions 

• Some days can be fast paced for a single person department, otherwise just keeping up on grant tasks remain in compliance and good standing on current grants.  

Future Projects 

• Large Green House Gas grants are coming down the pipe. We are working together now to see if we can form projects that can benefit the program and the Tribe.  

 

Preservation

Activity Highlights 

• 4-4- burial removals at Pierre Point 
• 4-5- burial removals at Pierre Point 
• 4-10- P2IP Phase 2 environmental compliance subcommittee technical meeting @WDFD building in Spokane Valley WA. 
• 4-20- SOP Landowner meeting at Admin conference room, forestry, enterprises  
• 4-25- P2IP Phase 2 environmental compliance subcommittee technical meeting @WDFD building in Spokane Valley WA. 

 Project Highlights/Status 

• April 18, 2023- Human Detection Dogs out with STI staff at Mill Creek 
• April 19, 2023- human Detection Dogs out with STI staff at Sand Creek area  
• April 2023: Now that the initial electrical improvements made within the Archives and Collections building and an inspection of the building, STIPP is evaluating the recommended next steps to upgrade the building’s electrical system. Collections Manager attended the initial meeting for the development of a Heritage Emergency Response Network within Spokane County, partnering with other professionals who safeguard cultural and heritage resources to share expertise, support, skillset, engage in training, etc., in preparation of an emergency that could endanger collections.  

 Grants Report 

•  N/A 

Budget Status 

• N/A 

Community Engagement Activity Highlights 

• April 2023: Collections Manager and Collections Assistant presented at the Northwest Archaeological Conference as part of a symposium on public outreach centered around cultural resource management. Collections staff also presented to a group of six homeschool students who receive tutoring at Key Academic & Life Coaching, including three 7th grades and three 11the graders.  

 Personnel Status 

• Arch tech/ boat driver position still trying to be filled, we had to applicants, one got another job and the other dropped out the day of the interview, HR let us know another applicant applied we have interview set up on the 4th of May.  

 Challenges/Actions 

• N/A 

 Future Projects 

• Need to get quotes for new motor for a truck we have. 
• May 4th helping with elders’ dinner at the Wellpinit high school.  
• 3rd quarter BPA meeting 10th & 11th of May 

 

Forestry and Fire Programs

Forestry Administration

• Prepared sale documents for tribal and allotted timber sales
• Allottee mailings with BIA for Cayuse Settlement
• Continued development of updated Forest History
• Continued TFMS Scaling Software finalization
• Strategy document for timber sale notification

TIMBER SALES

• Road restrictions lifted.
• Contractors did get most of their loads to the mills before the shutdown.
• Crew went to Toppenish for scaling training and rollout.
• Still working on pay increase for employee.
• Studying purchasing procurement policy and procedure.
• Ground is still too soft on sales. Warmer and drier weather should help.
• Mark McCrea is hoping to start on allotment in 2 weeks. Allotment needs to be remarked as paint is old and faded.

FOREST DEVELOPMENT

• 29 pending forestry work contracts; some access slowly returning in certain parts of the project areas. 
• Nursery contract with PRT signed and finalized.  
• Re-certified in CPR/First Aid/AED training. X 2
• Received results of the 2021-2022 cone collection/seed processing. 
• 2023 Spring plant recon and planning ongoing; received seedlings and will begin storage plan 4/26 of 140K seedlings. Planting will begin 5/8, when contractor is available to begin. 
• Equipment maintenance ongoing. 
  • Trailer repair complete
  • Completed annual servicing of tree cooler. 
• 1 x staff completed Annual Safety Refresher and Arduous Pack test; 1 additional staff member will aim to complete 4/27.

PRESALES

• Work continues for the presales crew marking the Crow Hop Project Area.
• Received initial LIDAR data with orthoimagery, Digital Elevation Model, point cloud and canopy height.
• Training new Forester.
• Marking of Crowhop continues.
• Recon of Strike Canyon Completed.
• Updating Allotment Tracking/Mass POA mailing to allottees.
• Guard Cabin plot cruising started.

FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM       

• GIS meeting at fire management and working on Acuity international to get the fire physicals for all red card holders
• working on Acuity international and fire physicals 
• working on guide to critical incidents
• getting a spread sheet to start tracking fire personal with the region 
• working on getting people more training 
• doing our weekly pack tests

FUELS

• Crew thin/chip unit continues.
• Crew mastication ongoing.
• 22 active forest work contracts; admin ongoing we did receive 3 hardship requests though; we’ll be working on those. 
• For the most part we’re gearing up for prescribed fire, checking all equipment and conducting recon in the project areas.  All burn plans have been signed off by the Superintendent, I think we’ll try to start on Friday and work through the weekend, pending staff availability. 
• Also got a draft budget mod worked up for the Fuels Manager Trainee, will submit that tomorrow. 
• Listened in on the BIA NW Region FMO call, a lot of focus on the Consultation for counting tribal wildland fire fte’s that’s coming up on Monday. 

GIS

• finished processing orthoimagery into various mosaic scales and was dispersed.
• Continue updating python scripts for GIS tools.
• Begin researching itemization of AGOL credits per department.
• Begin researching best LiDAR dispersal methods.
• Attended various GIS trainings.
• Assisted departments with GIS troubleshooting.