Category Overview
The State Lands Restoration and Enhancement category provides funding to two state agencies to help repair damaged plant and animal habitat. These grants focus on resource preservation and protection of public lands. Projects in this category help bring important natural areas and resources back to their original functions by improving the self sustaining and ecological functionality of sites.
Project Highlights
The Sherman Creek Forest Restoration Rx Burning Project, which aimed to treat approximately 1,000 acres, successfully treated 986 acres with prescribed fire on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Sherman Creek Wildlife Area. When one compares project area maps submitted with the grant application to the Rx Burn Accomplishments map, there is noticeable difference. Project area maps submitted with the grant application identified several potential treatment units that far exceeded 1,000 acres. Several units within the main body of the wildlife area in T36R37E sections 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29 and 30 were treated by WDFW with other funds in the spring of 2019, prior to the 1 July 2019 start date of this grant project. Following a lost season in 2020 due to Covid pandemic shutdowns, WDFW was able to treat 453 acres in T36R37E sections 19 and 20, completing the Trout Units in the spring of 2021. At that point, the grant project was about halfway complete with no possibility of implementing anymore prescribed burning before the original grant end date of 31 August 2021. On 25 June 2021, WDFW requested a one-year grant extension that was approved by RCO. No project work was completed in the fall of 2021 nor spring of 2022 due to the WDFW Rx Burn Team prioritizing work for an RCO grant project on the Colockum Wildlife Area, followed by staffing issues for the burn team that made burn planning and implementation impossible. WDFW requested a second grant extension on 7 July 2022, which was approved by RCO. No work was completed on the project during the fall of 2022 nor spring of 2023 due to a lack of WDFW Rx Burn Team staff, although recruiting attempts were being made. WDFW requested a third grant extension on 27 April 2023, which was approved by RCO. The WDFW Rx Burn Team successfully hired staff during the fall and winter of 2023 and burn planning for this project resumed. With no hope of project completion by 30 June 2024, WDFW requested a fourth, and final, grant extension on 29 April 2024, which was approved by RCO. The WDFW Rx Burn Team’s increased staff capacity provided for burn plan development, cultural resource review and burn permit acquisition during the spring and summer of 2024, followed by prescribed fire treatment of the HQ and Power Units in the fall of 2024. At that point, the remaining potential treatment units identified on the grant application maps were the satellite units located west of the main body of Sherman Creek Wildlife Area in T36R36E sections 26, 27, 33 and 34. These South Fork Sherman Creek and Coyote Creek Units were planned for prescribed fire treatment in coordination with the US Forest Service’s Colville National Forest (CNF). Late in 2024, the CNF informed WDFW that treatment of their surrounding lands had to be postponed, making it impossible for WDFW to complete treatment of the South Fork Sherman Creek and Coyote Creek Units within the timeline of this grant project. In February 2025, WDFW requested a grant revision to replace these units (approximately 450 acres) with other treatment units of similar acreage within the project scope, that had been treated prior to this project and were due for another treatment entry, according to natural fire cycle intervals. RCO approved the revision to allow for re-entry treatment of five units (Bisbee, Wilkie, Bridge, Hatch and Trail) within the main body of Sherman Creek Wildlife Area in T36R37E sections 22 and 27. Following the revision approval, the WDFW Rx Burn Team was able to update the burn plan, receive cultural resource clearance and acquire the burn permit in time for these units, totaling 446 acres, to be treated in April 2025. Subsequent mop-up and monitoring activities were completed, and this project came to a close by the final end date of 30 June 2025. WDFW greatly appreciates the RCO’s approval of four grant extensions and one grant revision that made it possible to complete the Sherman Creek Forest Restoration Rx Burning project. The WDFW Rx Burn Team provided a document, that has been attached to this grant, which highlights the many benefits realized through this project.