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site received additional visits and genetic analysis of fur collected on gun brushes is
currently underway.
American martens were recorded at multiple sites, a sign of late successional forests
nearby where martens often den and hunt. While not a target species of our project, data
collected on martens will be shared with the Cascades Carnivore Connectivity Project
1
,
which is studying the barrier effects of highways in genetic diversity among populations
of black bears and martens.
Detection of Cascade red fox at our Big Crow Basin site in the South Cascades. While not
a target species of this project, other researchers with the Cascade Carnivore Project
2
are
studying the populations of Cascade red fox in Washington's Cascades.
The highest diversity of species observed at our I-90 sites occurred at Price Noble and
Price Creek, which included deer, elk, black bear, coyote, and bobcat. These sites are in
habitat directly adjacent to where several wildlife crossing structures will be constructed
as part of Phase 2 of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project. These include the first
wildlife bridge in Washington, which breaks ground as soon as 2015.
Animals documented at Gold Creek North and Gold Creek South are of particular
interest this season due to the completion of two wildlife underpasses at Gold Creek.
The recording of deer, elk, black bear, coyote, and bobcat in habitat adjacent to these
new crossing structures speaks to their potential use for wildlife to safely cross under I-
90. As this underpass transitions from construction to restoration, continued monitoring
of the underpass is important for documenting wildlife as they use the structure.
Though many of our Rossland Range sites do not have data available in time for this
report, the Christina Crest site within a well-documented habitat linkage for wildlife
documented moose, bobcat, black bear, and deer. This region will continue to be our
focus for in 2014.
The work of our volunteers through the Citizen's Wildlife Monitoring Project increases our
understanding of wildlife on the Washington landscape and in the transboundary region
between Washington and British Columbia. Not only does visual documentation of species
influence research and policy decisions, these images create a narrative and put a face to our
wildlands; the Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project underscores the importance of monitoring
and conservation efforts to ensure a stable landscape for Washington's wildlife.
1
Cascades Carnivore Connectivity Project, http://www.cascadesconnectivity.org/
2
Cascades Carnivore Project, http://cascadescarnivoreproject.blogspot.com/
