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Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are in process of making a final ruling on their
proposal to extend wolverines protection under the Endangered Species Act. As the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service moves toward a final decision, a better understanding of the populations,
ranges, and behaviors of wolverines in Washington will become crucial as conservation and
management plans are developed by agencies. Thus, CWMP will continue to put an emphasis
on detecting wolverine in Washington. Though wolverines were not detected at Bootjack
Mountain this season, it was important to return to both successful sites from last year to
continue collecting information on this population of wolverines residing in part or completely
south of Highway 2.
Both sites also documented the presence of American marten (Level 2 species). This is not
surprising given that these wolverine sites also coincide with prime American marten habitat.
The presence of American marten in these areas may prove useful to the Cascades Carnivore
Connectivity Project, which is studying the barrier effects of highways in genetic diversity
among populations of black bears and martens. The results of this study will help to inform
future transportation infrastructure and policy as it relates to wildlife and road interactions.
