Join us this Sunday for a work party in Central Washington’s sagelands

Join us this Sunday for a work party in Central Washington’s sagelands

Conservation Northwest / Sep 11, 2019 / Connecting Habitat, Sagelands, WDFW

This Sunday, September 15th we’ll be helping the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) remove old barbed wire and fence posts on the Whiskey Dick Unit of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area near the Vantage Highway, and YOU can help!

The Columbia River Breaks viewed from the Quilomene Wildlife Area, important winter habitat for elk, mule deer and other species. Photo: Chase Gunnell

Critical winter range for elk and mule deer as well as habitat for sage grouse, bighorn sheep and a variety of other species, this wildlife area is an important piece of a large block of contiguous public lands west of the Columbia River between Wenatchee and Ellensburg.

Details below. Please RSVP to our Sagelands Program Lead Jay Kehne by emailing jkehne (at) conservationnw.org to volunteer.

Details

Meet up at 8:00 am at the Wild Horse Wind Farm parking lot (Google Maps).

We will be working along the Vantage Highway, but as traffic can be fairly heavy at times and parking spots limited, some people may wish to leave vehicles parked at the Wild Horse for the day.

Folks can leave as needed, and all work will wrap-up by 5:00 pm. Restoration work will include some physical activity. All participants will be required to sign a waiver.

Please bring plenty of water and snacks and/or a lunch, leather work gloves, working shoes or boots and pants, sunglasses and sunscreen. Fence pliers, claw hammers, and linesman’s pliers will be very useful if you have them.

WDFW will bring a mechanical wire roller, a couple pairs of extra fence pliers, post pullers, and tools for removing or bending nails.

Background

Habitat connections to quality winter range is vital for migratory elk herds. Photo: USFWS

This event is being organized and led by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife L.T. Murray Wildlife Area (which includes the Whiskey Dick unit) management team, with support from Conservation Northwest, the Mule Deer Foundation and other partners.

Conservation Northwest’s Sagelands Heritage Program works to maintain, restore and connect shrub-steppe landscapes from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley to south-central Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills for the good of both wildlife and people.

Priority species include sage grouse, bighorn sheep, badgers, sharp-tailed grouse, mule deer and pygmy rabbits. Our work will also benefit pronghorn antelope as they are reintroduced to this landscape, as well as raptors, owls, Rocky Mountain elk and other species.

Learn more about our restoration and access improvement work in this area, including a new informational kiosk and Gravel parking lot at Green Gate on the neighboring Quilomene Wildlife Area, IN THIS BLOG.