Wetlands Conservation...

Program Employees:
Sue Ball - Wetlands Conservation Coordinator

Wetlands provide many functions that are valued by people. These functions (and their values) include: surface water storage (flood control), shoreline stabilization (wave damage protection/shoreline erosion control), stream flow maintenance (maintain aquatic habitat and instream flow), groundwater recharge (replenish water supplies), sediment removal and nutrient cycling (water quality protection), supporting aquatic productivity (fishing, shell fishing, and waterfowl hunting), production of crops (timber harvest and wild rice), production of herbaceous growth (livestock grazing and haying), production of peaty soils (peat harvest), and provision of plant and wildlife habitat (hunting, trapping, plant/wildlife/nature photography, nature observation, and aesthetics).

Wetland and riparian resources have always been highly valued by the Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and Kootenai people. The great abundance and diversity of wetland and riparian resources on the Flathead Indian Reservation (FIR) have been adversely impacted by logging, grazing, and agricultural practices; construction and operation of hydroelectric and irrigation dams and facilities; land conversion for agriculture, development and roads; long-term drought, and surface and ground-water withdrawals; and introduction of non-indigenous aquatic invasive species.

In recognition of the need to protect quantity and quality of wetland and riparian resources, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) developed a Wetland Conservation Strategy in 1994 under the Tribal Wildlife Management Program. Completion of baseline wetland mapping of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) in 1992 from 1984 color infra-red (CIR) photography was a critical goal achieved through the development of the Strategy, but only limited mapping of riparian areas has been completed to date. This initial mapping effort identified over 101,811 acres, almost 8% of the 1.3 million acre Reservation, are wetlands and deepwater habitat. Beginning in early 2006, the Wetlands Program has begun updating the NWI and mapping riparian resources from 2005 digital 1m CIR.

Funded by EPA 104(3)(b) wetlands development grants and matching Tribal funds, the Tribes created a separate Wetlands Conservation Program in 1995 and developed a comprehensive Wetlands Conservation Plan adopted by Council in 1999. The purpose of the Wetlands Conservation Plan is to provide direction to Tribal programs for the protection and restoration of all wetland and riparian resources of the Reservation. The Plan provides a framework for linking and coordinating regulatory and non-regulatory programs (Tribal, State, and Federal) and wetland-related activities so all function together as a comprehensive wetlands protection and restoration program.

The Tribes’ goal is to halt wetland and riparian losses on the Reservation and ultimately work to restore quantity and quality of these important aquatic resources. To help achieve these goals the Wetlands Conservation Program assesses wetland and riparian status and trends through field assessments and NWI updates; examines issues and projects affecting Reservation wetland and riparian areas; provides technical assistance, public outreach and education; and articulates Tribal wetland conservation goals and objectives.