By JD Ennis
Cover photo courtesy of Lisa Laughlin
The 21,000-acres of public wildlife habitat that makes up the Swanson Lakes Wildlife area in the channeled scablands of the Columbia Plateau is a shrub-steppe ecosystem that is dominated by sagebrush and dotted with mesic grasslands, wetlands, potholes, and ponds. The area provides excellent habitat for upland game birds; various species of songbirds, raptors, reptiles, amphibians; and mule deer. Several Washington State at-risk species also call the area home. One of the most critical is the sharp-tailed grouse. It’s a special place and one of the last of its kind on the Columbia Plateau.
In less than 36 hours over Labor Day weekend in 2020, the Whitney Road fire, fueled by 40 to 50 mile per hour winds, burned huge portions of the Swanson Lakes area, transforming all of that wildlife habitat into a moonscape of dust and ash. In response, members from Pheasants Forever Spokane chapter 800 and Spokane Audubon Society came together with WDFW Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area manager Mike Finch to develop plans to restore part of the burned area near Z Lake. Soon, a native tree and shrub planting project on a 22,500 square foot plot came together. The goal was to create a critically needed winter food source for the sharp-tailed grouse, as well as thermal and escape cover for pheasants, valley quail, and the other wildlife.
Two days before the restoration project, WDFW rototilled the site, and Pheasants Forever volunteers with the help of WDFW employees laid out 2,000 feet of landscape fabric where the shrubs would be placed to help reduce weed intrusion and retain soil moisture in the harsh, dry growing conditions. On May 11, 2024, multiple groups with diverse passions were able to find common ground around restoring some of the habitat that burned four years back. Eight different species were planted by volunteers, including 700 water birch, aspen, serviceberry, and other native shrubs. The volunteers also installed 70 ten-foot t-posts to secure 750 feet of barrier fencing to keep deer and porcupine from browsing and raise the rate of plant survival. The project may have been only a 22,500 square foot area, but the impact that it will have on the habitat biodiversity over time is immense. For more info about the project, visit pf800.org (JD Ennis)
