Land, Water & Wetlands

Land

Transportation

Our staff routinely reviews and provides comments and recommendations regarding impacts to fish and wildlife resources associated with various transportation projects where Federal funds or permits are involved, such as airports and highways projects in northern Idaho and eastern Washington. Our involvement in these activities generally falls under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, or Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Forest and Other Land Management Activities

Staff reviews and provides comments and recommendations on numerous proposals each year involving forest or other activities on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. In most cases these actions involve Service trust resources such as wetlands, migratory birds and threatened and endangered species. Our involvement in these activities generally falls under NEPA, MBTA and the ESA.

Private Lands

Our staff routinely provide comments pertaining to fish and wildlife resources on private lands that may be affected by activities either funded by or that require a Federal Permit. Our involvement in these projects usually falls under NEPA, MBTA, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and ESA.

Also, the Service has an active and highly regarded program that provides funding for habitat restoration projects in partnership with private landowners throughout our area of responsibility. For further information, please see our description of the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program on this website.

Migratory Birds

Uplands, open water, and wetlands all provide important habitat for migratory birds and waterfowl. The Service participates and/or cooperates with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in the effort to conserve these species and their habitats.

We also provide technical assistance to numerous non-governmental entities and the general public in a comprehensive effort to conserve migratory birds. These partners include Avista Utilities and Inland Power and Light.

Most avian species found in Washington are protected by various Federal laws, including the MBTA, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act. A list of migratory birds and waterfowl protected under the MBTA can be found at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/mbtandx.html

Migratory Birds Program

Flyways

Interstate Pipelines

Fish and Wildlife Office staff also provides comments and recommendations on pipelines regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. These include natural gas, gasoline, and other petroleum products.

Water

Fishery Resources

Since 1871, the Service has protected and enhanced fish populations and their habitats. Through partnerships, we work to conserve and restore the nation's aquatic resources for the long-term benefit of the public. We also provide technical expertise to ensure protection and conservation of fish populations and habitat. Our operations extend throughout western Washington from the crest of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean and from the Canadian border to the Columbia River.

Our western Washington Fishery Resources staff is an integrated team of experienced biologists, hatchery operations specialists, bio-statisticians, and support personnel. Through the diversity of our expertise, technical skills and highly-specialized equipment, we are discovering and deploying the fisheries management science of tomorrow. We investigate a wide variety of factors affecting hatchery and wild fish and other aquatic resources and provide scientific support for conservation of at-risk species and the recovery of ESA-listed species. Take a look at what we do; we think you’ll be impressed.

Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)

• Participation in the 100th Meridian Initiative, a national monitoring and outreach effort to prevent the westward spread of zebra mussels.
• Providing and distributing zebra mussel prevention outreach materials in the Pacific Northwest.
• Monitoring for zebra mussels, investigating possible sightings of invasive species, and distributing ANS outreach materials.
• Providing coordination and technical assistance to Service partners in the Pacific Northwest on nonindigenous species issues.

The Invasive Species Hotline (1-877-9-INFEST) is one of a series of actions being taken by the Invasive Species Council and its partners to combat invasive species.

Links

• Washington Invasive Species Council
• National Invasive Species Council
• ANS Task Force
• Western Regional Panel
• 100th Meridian Initiative
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (ANS)
• USFWS (Invasive Species)

Hydropower Planning and Relicensing

The Washington Fish and Wildlife office conserves species and their habitats through our work with utilities in the licensing or re-licensing of hydropower projects. Our involvement in this process is conducted pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Federal Power Act, Energy Policy Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Endangered Species Act.

While hydropower is an important source of energy, hydropower is not free of environmental impacts. These projects need to include environmentally sound measures that provide for the protection and enhancement of the Nation's natural resources. The Fish and Wildlife Service conserves, protects, and enhances fish and wildlife resources through a variety of programs, including environmental review of Federal and non-Federal hydropower licenses, to incorporate appropriate environmental protection and enhancement measures.

Some of the larger hydropower projects in Washington include:

• Cushman Hydroelectric Project (Mason County) - Skokomish River
• Jackson Hydroelectric Project (Snohomish County Public Utility District) - Sultan River
• Spokane River Dams (Avista Utilities) - Spokane River
• Box Canyon Dam (Pend Oreille County Public Utility District) - Pend Oreille River
• Boundary Dam (Seattle City Light) - Pend Oreille River
• Enloe Hydroelectric Project (Okanogan County Utility District No. 1) - Similkameen River
• Chief Joseph Hydroelectric Project (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District) - Columbia River
• Wells Hydroelectric Project (Douglas County Public Utility District No. 1) - Columbia River
• Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project (Chelan County Public Utility District No. 1) - Columbia River
• Rock Island Hydroelectric Project (Chelan County Public Utility District No. 1) - Columbia River
• Wanapum Hydroelectric Project (Grant County Public Utility District No. 1) - Columbia River
• Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project (Grant County Public Utility District No. 1) - Columbia River

Current Wind Power Projects in Eastern Washington

In Western Washington, we are working on several alternative energy projects including the Snohomish Public Utility District's and Navy's tidal hydrokinetic projects.

Wetlands Regulatory Program (“404 Program”)

This Program involves the Service’s review of permit applications for work in navigable waters of the United States under the authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. These permits are issued by the Corps of Engineers in the following geographic areas:

• Seattle District, Corps of Engineers (Western Washington)
• Walla Walla District, Corps of Engineers (Eastern Washington)

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA)

Ongoing Federal Projects that involve preparation of Coordination Act Reports prepared by our Habitat Conservation Branch include:

• Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study
• Walla Walla River Basin Feasibility Study

WETLANDS

Classification of Wetland Habitats

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) first published "Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States" in December 1979; it is sometimes referred to as Cowardin’s Wetland Classification System, after the lead author. As stated in the preface of the publication, this “system has been widely used throughout the United States and is often cited in the scientific literature”.

National Wetlands Inventory (NWI)

Since the 1970’s, the Service has been involved in the preparation of large scale mapping of wetlands in the United States using Service’s Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. To access the NWI website and Service’s NWI maps, please use the following URLs:

NWI information: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/
NWI maps: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/mapper.html

Wetland Plant Species

Beginning in 2006, through a Memorandum of Agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, NRCS, and the Corps of Engineers, the Service transferred the responsibility for updating the National List of Wetland Plant Species to the Corps of Engineers.