Cascades fisher reintroduction project: Progress report for April 2019 to June 2020

Lewis JC, Ransom JI, Chestnut T, Werntz DO, Black S, Postigo JL, Moehrenschlager A. 2020. Cascades fisher reintroduction project: Progress report for April 2019 to June 2020. Natural Resource Report. NPS/PWR/NRR—2020/2211. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2283466

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 of restoring 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 fifth 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 second year of reintroducing them to North Cascades National Park Service Complex (NOCA), Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBSNF), and the larger North Cascades Ecosystem. To date, we have released 81 fishers (69 fishers (38 F, 31 M) from British Columbia, Canada, and 12 fishers (7 F, 5 M) from Alberta, Canada) into MORA and GPNF in the South Cascades Ecosystem. We have collected 1,016 locations of these fishers using radio-telemetry, and this phase of monitoring is complete. 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. We have now also translocated 89 fishers (48 F, 41 M) from Alberta into the North Cascades Ecosystem, including NOCA and MBSNF. We have collected 261 locations of these fishers using radio-telemetry, and 2020 will be the first denning season when reproduction is expected. Data are still insufficient for calculating annual survival, but 24 mortalities have been detected and several have been attributed to predation. In addition to monitoring movements, survival, and reproduction in the North Cascades, we also report on the progress of several research studies aimed at better understanding reintroduction success and improving animal welfare throughout the process.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Lewis, Jeffrey; Ransom, Jason; Chestnut, Tara; Werntz, David; Black, Sandie; Postigo, Jose; Moehrenschlager, Axel
Date of Issue
2020-12
Publisher
National Park Service
DOI
10.36967/nrr-2283466
Units
LACH , MORA , NOCA , NRSS , PWR , ROLA
Keywords
Alberta, British Columbia, carnivore, Cascade Mountains, fisher, home range, mesocarnivore, mortality, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Mount Ranier, 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

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