Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke
Issue link: http://conservationnw.uberflip.com/i/122699
Roads and wildlife Aaron Theisen Conservation intern, atheisen@conservationnw.org On the Colville nf Roads to rehab Unneeded forest roads have been named by the US Forest Service as one of the biggest threats to national forest health. Starting this summer, thanks to a $5,000 grant from American Forests, Conservation Northwest has the chance to provide rehabilitation where it's most needed: to roads in the Colville National Forest. The LeClerc Creek drainage northwest of Newport, Washington, harbors some of the best wildlife habitat in northeastern Washington, as well as designated critical habitat for endangered grizzly bear and mountain caribou. The LeClerc Creek Road Rehabilitation Project will operate in one of only three watersheds in the Colville National Forest with evidence of successful spawning of endangered bull trout. The Colville National Forest has 4,300 miles of official roads in its inventory. Although many of these roads are important for accessing and managing our forests, quite a few are no longer needed and in disrepair. Other roads, while still in use, were poorly routed to begin with and lie within streamside riparian habitats, harming fish and reptiles. Road decommissioning and revegetation offers one of the most effective habitat management tools for public lands. Because roadbeds are severely compacted, they are sparsely vegetated. Ripping, obliterating, and reseeding unneeded roads promotes new stands of trees and a healthy understory of forbs, shrubs, and grasses. Mule deer (and photographer) were both surprised while walking on a forest road in northeastern Washington. Photo Erin Moore Once revegetated, former roadways offer browse, cover, and places of refuge and escape for animals. They also sequester carbon out of the air, reducing green house gasses that can affect climate. Road revegetation softens and heals damage to streams and streamside habitats. Finally, closing a road and then revegetating it, can reduce illegal motorized access. Such habitat improvements extend well beyond the road corridor. Studies show that one mile of road disturbs approximately 10 acres of land, which suggests that road revegetation has immense positive impacts to adjacent lands. Together with the Forest Service, Conservation Northwest is working on several projects here, including hand-pulling noxious weeds along an abandoned and obliterated road; building fences to protect riparian habitat; and planting trees along almost three miles of a section of road soon to be decommissioned and rerouted. Because the revegetation projects occur on road sections that have either been abandoned owing to lack of use or have been rerouted, road travel in the LeClerc Creek drainage will not be affected, and ORV users will not lose any riding opportunities. Wildlife biologists in the Colville National Forest suggest these are some of the best "bang-for-the-buck" ways to rehabilitate habitat. The main investment is a little sweat equity from volunteers interested in seeing immediate and tangible benefits for their work. Our program capitalizes on a long-standing and effective partnership between Conservation Northwest and the Forest Service working on habitat restoration. By supporting us and these projects, you are recovering endangered grizzlies and caribou, and mule deer, elk, and other wildlife and protecting public lands in northeast Washington. Trailwork in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness—not road rehabilitation, but you get the picture. Want to help out this summer? Volunteer! Contact Aaron Theisen to get involved, 509.747.1663. Photo Judy Davis Keeping the Northwest wild Spring-Summer 2012 11