Cascades fisher reintroduction project: Progress report for March 2018 to March 2019

Lewis JC, Ransom JI, Chestnut T, Werntz DO, Black S, Postigo JL, Moehrenschlager A. 2019. Cascades fisher reintroduction project: Progress report for March 2018 to March 2019. Natural Resource Report. NPS/PWR/NRR—2019/1982. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were extirpated from Washington due to over-trapping, habitat loss, and predator eradication programs. A mid-sized member of the weasel family, fishers occurred in the coniferous forests of Washington until the early and mid-1900s. We established a partnership between federal, state, and non-profit organizations with the goal to restore fishers to their former range in Washington. This partnership reintroduced 90 fishers from British Columbia to Olympic National Park from 2008 to 2010. We are now in the fourth year of a reintroduction project to restore fishers to Mount Rainier National Park (MORA), Gifford Pinchot National Forest (GPNF) and the larger South Cascade Ecosystem, and in the first year of reintroducing them to North Cascades National Park Service Complex (NOCA), Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBSF), and the larger North Cascades Ecosystem. To date, we have released 69 fishers (38 F, 31 M) from British Columbia, Canada, at MORA and GPNF in the South Cascades Ecosystem. As of March 2019, we have collected 1,016 locations of these fishers using radio-telemetry. The majority of fisher locations occurred within the boundaries of the recovery area. Annual survival of reintroduced fishers has remained above 50% each year and across both sexes, and thus remains within the parameters for likely population establishment. We confirmed reproduction of fishers in the South Cascades in 2017, when female F023 was photographed with one kit at her den tree, and again in 2018, when female F082 was photographed with one kit at her den tree. Due to extensive wildfires in the British Columbia source population capture area, we shifted operations to Alberta, Canada, in 2018, and began a new partnership with the Alberta Ministry of Environment and Parks, Alberta Trappers Association, Bushman, Inc., and Calgary Zoo. During the winter of 2018/2019, we captured 26 fishers (15F, 11M) in Alberta and translocated them into the North Cascades Ecosystem, including NOCA and MBSF. We also released four more fishers (3F, 1M) in MORA that were captured in Alberta in late 2018. In addition to monitoring movements, survival, and reproduction in the North Cascades, we have also initiated a suite of studies aimed at better understanding reintroduction success and improving animal welfare throughout the process. Our aim is to meet the overall Cascades fisher reintroduction goals of releasing ≥80 animals in the South Cascades and ≥80 animals in the North Cascades by the end of 2020.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Lewis, Jeffrey; Ransom, Jason; Chestnut, Tara; Werntz, David; Black, Sandie; Postigo, Jose; Moehrenschlager, Axel
Date of Issue
2019-08
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
MORA , NOCA , NRSS , PWR , ROLA
Keywords
British Columbia, carnivore, Cascade Mountains, fisher, home range, mortality, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, mustelid, North Cascades, radio-transmitter, reintroduction, release, restoration, South Cascades, survival, wildlife
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Mammals , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | At-risk Biota | T&E Species and Communities

Full text (PDF)

Series

See also

Collections

Browse the catalog