Anderson Homestead Roosevelt Elk Habitat Enhancement Project

Project Scope:

This collaborative project located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State know as the “Anderson Homestead” and the newly acquired "Wynn- Rupp" parcel containing approximately 60-acres of state owned land located next to the Bogachiel River.  A 2004 partnership between the RMEF, WDFW, West End Sportsman Club, and KBH Archers/EITW volunteers removed garbage, vehicle hulks and restored approximately 20-acres of pasture of the Anderson Homestead. 

In this proposal the 20-acres of restored pasture will be mowed, soil tested, fertilized and encroaching brush will be removed. Plus an additional 15-acre of the "Wynn- Rupp" land will be restored and planted with high quality forage developed specifically for Elk Habitat.  The project will result in a total of 35-acres of highly nutritious forage that provides a year-round source of nutrition for Roosevelt elk and other wildlife. In addition to green forage for elk, the WDFW proposes to build a new parking area with informational signage about the project and partnerships. This parking area will provide improved public access for fishing, hunting, and enjoying nature.
 
Forage
Prior to treating pastures; we will need some encroaching brush, blow downs, and a old barbed wire fence separating the two acquisitions need to be removed. We think there will be some noxious weed removal and tree planting as well. We envision this being a two day project with several groups of volunteers, with a little follow up needed.  The Forks Middle School Ameri Corps has expressed interest in this portion of the project. Our hope is that between the WDFW and EITW we can make this an enjoyable and educational experience for the students.
 
Parking and Access improvement
WDFW and an outside contract will do most of the construction of the parking area. EITW will take on the task of signage and about 300’ of fence construction.  The fence will act as a barrier from which the public can view the wildlife population at a safe distance. In cooperation with WDFW, informational signs are to be developed and posted, discussing the value of this project to the areas habitat and will be placed in/near the new parking area.

Project Monitoring
Monitoring the expected success of the project; EITW and RMEF will take on the lion's share of this task, doing comp counts of elk using the homesteads. This would involve volunteers visiting the site and performing a “count and comp” of the elk using it. We will also develop a list of other species using this site as well as identifying the undesirable plant life for removal.  Currently there are five marked elk in the area to be used for identifying sub herds.  Our compiled research will be an excellent source for future elk management in the area, and will assist WDFW in the administration of future Habitat projects.

Habitat:

There is an old barbed wire fence separating the two acquisitions that needs to be removed. There will be some noxious weed removal and tree planting.  The pasture will be mowed, soil tested and fertilized to provide a high quality forage. We estimate only a few days to complete this part of the project using several volunteers with a little follow up.

We will post the training information and project dates on our calendar.