72 volunteers participated in our project's wildlife monitoring this winter: 50 volunteers
took part in formal transect surveys and 22 volunteers installed and maintained remote
camera sites.
Findings from this year's snow tracking transects are consistent with previous years'
results since the program was begun in 2008. An assessment of observer reliability of
our snow tracking teams continues to reflect a high degree of accuracy in field
identification of tracks and signs. We've been performing this accuracy check for the
past two years.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Cascades Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project (CWMP) is a joint project of I‐90
Wildlife Bridges Coalition (a group of organizations focused on advocating for
infrastructure improvements included in the I‐90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project and
designed to improve habitat), Wilderness Awareness School (an environmental
education organization), and Conservation Northwest (a conservation and advocacy
group). CWMP uses trained volunteers to monitor the presence, location, and
movement of wildlife in the vicinity of proposed wildlife crossing sites east of
Snoqualmie Pass along Interstate 90 in the Washington Cascades, and elsewhere in
Washington State. The project has a particular focus on rare and elusive carnivores,
such as wolves and wolverines. CWMP is designed to support the conservation of our
region's wildlife and wildlands by enhancing our knowledge of wildlife‐habitat
connections in our region, supporting the monitoring and management efforts of
transportation and wildlife agencies, and providing engaging educational field
experiences for volunteers.
The I‐90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project is a 15‐mile highway improvement project that
includes measures for connecting wildlife habitat, including construction of wildlife
crossings. Construction on the first phase of the I‐90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project has
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CWMP 2012-2013 Winter Field Season Report
