Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

Washington's Fish Consumption Rate And Water Quality Standards: Fostering Allies To Keep Our Seafood Clean, Tiffany J. Waters

All Master's Theses

Washington State’s current fish consumption rate and water quality standards update has been a highly contentious public policy debate between Washington State tribes, the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, and many prominent Washington State industries. Environmental groups and Washington tribes have partnered in the Keep Our Seafood Clean Coalition to educate the public on the need for increasing water quality standards to protect tribal and public health. My research includes analyzing Washington's tribal/State agency co-management relationships, the water quality standards history and current criteria, and the narratives of the public debate; and conducting interviews …

Understanding Vulnerability In Alaska Fishing Communities: A Validation Methodology For Rapid Assessment Of Well-Being Indices, Conor M. Maguire

All Master's Theses

Social well-being indices measure how fishing communities are likely to be affected by social-ecological perturbations, and are a significant tool to identify the primary issues influencing communities’ sustained participation in fishing activities. In an attempt to further our understanding of how communities are affected by such perturbations, we have developed a rapid assessment methodology to test the external validity of a set of well-being indices that measure community vulnerability. This methodology informs how well such indices reflect the communities they represent by measuring elements of well-being through field observations, and comparing them to corresponding index components created from secondary data …

Applying Wetland Rating Systems To Assess Functions Of Depressional Wetlands Created By A Mass Wasting Feature, Table Mountain, Washington, Thomas S. Wachholder

All Master's Theses

The formation of wetlands in the Swauk Watershed has been primarily controlled by mass wasting events, which includes landslide activity. Landslide activity has been the primary influential process in shaping the landscape where wetland systems have formed on the surface of landslide deposits. The wetland sites used in this study, near the base of Table Mountain, were chosen because they inhabit the same ancient landslide, have the same underlying geology, and vary in aspect and elevation. The elevational gradient of the sites ranges from 1300 – 1600 m and the individual wetlands differ in terms of north- and south-facing aspects. …

Aligning Policy With Perception: Management Of Whitewater Recreationists In The Tieton River Corridor, Kathryn Buchholz

All Master's Theses

Best management practices for whitewater recreationists visiting the Tieton River Corridor were identified by integrating carrying capacity, visitor perceptions of their experience and land managers' regulations. Indicators of bare soil measurements, vehicle parking capacity and crowding were utilized to formulate ecological, physical and social carrying capacities of the study area in relation to whitewater recreationists. One hundred forty-eight participants responded to onsite questionnaires regarding perceptions on crowding, the study area, and their experience of visiting the Tieton River Corridor. Forest Service policy was examined and applied to the study area to identify areas exceeding standards. An intervention tool incorporating persuasive …

An Analysis Of Swift Fox (Vulpes Velox) Occupancy On The Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Montana, Adriann Michelle Killsnight

All Master's Theses

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a small can.id native to the short-grass prairies of the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada. Swift foxes once occupied areas of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and the southern regions of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, including the Northern Cheyenne Reservation (NCR) in southeastern, Montana. Since the arrival of European settlers to the prairie region in the late 1800s through the early 1900s, swift fox distribution or been reduced and populations have substantially declined or completely eliminated in some areas due …

Gis Modeling Of Elk Habitat Suitability In The North Cascades Of Washington State, Anna Yost

All Master's Theses

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) elk management goals are to adjust the distribution of elk on the landscape in the North Cascades to reduce negative impacts to private property while maintaining a healthy population of elk in the area. The goal of this study was to use custom Geographic Information System (GIS) elk habitat suitability models to model baseline elk habitat suitability in the 8,600 km² North Cascades elk management area, and then evaluate how theoretical forage enhancement sites would affect habitat suitability. Prior to creating the baseline and proposed habitat suitability maps for the …

Alpine And Other Abandoned Towns Along The Great Northern Railroad Near Stevens Pass, Washington, 1890-1930, Stacy Marie Stanley

All Master's Theses

Despite the wealth of research on the early transcontinental railroads of the West, including certain areas in Washington State, there is little known about the railroad towns, camps and logging communities that arose due to the construction of the Great Northern Railroad in the Stevens Pass area. This thesis summarizes some of the information on the history of the study area, as well as results of a field investigation of archaeological remnants of one railroad town, the town of Alpine. Alpine was a short-lived town established during construction of the railroad ca. 1892 or a little later in 1910, and …

Evaluating The Utility Of Beaver Reintroduction Programs For Enhancing Habitat For Rainbow Trout And Steelhead, Jonathan Rodger Hegna

All Master's Theses

Beaver reintroduction programs are increasingly being viewed as a way to enhance salmonid habitat and production. However, the actual effectiveness of using beavers as a habitat enhancement tool for ESA listed steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss populations is unknown. We examined the type of habitat, at both the microhabitat and mesohabitat levels, preferred by steelhead in three small streams in the upper Yakima Basin, WA through standard snorkel surveys and habitat measurements. Our results suggest that steelhead in small streams strongly prefer (relative to availability) microhabitats that have deeper water(> 30 cm), slow stream velocities(< 0 .05 mis), and complex cover types. Habitat partitioning among the size-classes (small< 50 mm, medium 50-90 mm, large> 90 mm total length, TL) principally operated …

The Roles Of Humans And Climatic Variation On The Fire History Of Subalpine Meadows - Mount Rainer National Park (Washington), Michael Louis Lukens

All Master's Theses

With the creation of Mount Rainier National Park (MORA) in 1899 came the active management of the park's landscapes and a heavy emphasis on fire suppression. Today managers at MORA have made returning fire to the park's landscapes a top priority. In order to achieve this goal, and to make more informed decisions in regard to the application of fire, land managers at MORA need to better understand past fire occurrences and the drivers of fire activity on the mountain. To address this problem, analysis of macroscopic charcoal preserved in lake sediments was used to reconstruct the fire history for …

The Elwha River Restoration: Landscape Change, Salmon, And Sense Of Place, Kelseyanne Johnson

All Master's Theses

Removal of the Elwha River dams to restore the ecosystem and salmon fisheries is the largest project of its kind in the history of the United States. Spanning decades and affecting generations, this project has changed and will continue to change the landscape. This research examined the influence of the anticipated return of salmon on 18 key stakeholders' sense of place of the Elwha River. For almost all stakeholders, changes to the Elwha landscape are welcomed as they expect that salmon will restore the ecosystem to its natural state. Narrative data revealed dominant themes in participants' sense of place expressed …

Experiments To Measure The Effects Of Timber Harvesting Equipment On Surface Lithic Scatters, Douglas J. Baughman

All Master's Theses

The importance of cultural resource preservation cannot be overstated; however local economies are at least as important. Due to conservative archaeological site protection practices in Region 5 of the United States Forest Service, the economy of Northeastern California is being adversely affected. In an attempt to help the Forest Service make more informed management decisions and improve the Northeastern California economy, I undertook experiments on the effects of timber harvesting on lithic scatters on Modoc National Forest. The experiments involved placement of 225 glass tiles (proxy lithics) in each of three plots subject to vehicle traffic and log dragging by …

Traditional Fishing And Significance Of Place: A Case Study Of Cooks Landing, Washington, Hillary Eagle-Eye Renick

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to present an understanding of a unique Columbia River Indian Fishing community through time and space. The place is a traditional Columbia River Indian fishing community, known as Cooks Landing. This place is one of five fishing places improved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to comply with mandated replacement of Indian fishing sites, in-lieu of those fishing sites flooded or damaged by the construction and operation of Bonneville Dam. This thesis analyzes written history, oral history, and the formal structure and spatial functions of this in-lieu site. It examines questions about those …

Tracks In The Woods: Identifying And Evaluating Historic Logging Railroad Systems Within The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Carol Taylor Hearne

All Master's Theses

The Sauk River Lumber Company (SRLC) operated in western Washington's Sauk River valley between 1922 and 1954. Impacts made on the landscape during that time can still be identified. Archival research, oral history interviews and archaeological fieldwork were undertaken to identify and evaluate the many landscape features associated with the SRLC's timber harvest activities. The systematic identification and documentation of this single company's logging operations and the features that resulted from those operations can be used to assist cultural resource managers facing the same task elsewhere. Maps, diagrams, and photographs are included to provide resource managers with basic tools and …

Environment-Based Education: Policy, Practice, And Place, Eric N. Wickwire

All Master's Theses

The policies of the environment-based education movement are benefiting teachers and students participating in several model programs operating in the United States. Place-centered learning enhances the interdisciplinary practice of Essential Academic Learning Requirements, and actively engages students in local issues. The study of cultural landscapes encourages a sense of place within the Lower Columbia River Gorge, and fosters student connections with the Dalles Mountain Ranch. Policy recommendations are made for environment-based learning in Washington State's public schools. An example place-centered curriculum is outlined for practice at the Dalles Mountain Ranch, and a residential environmental learning center is proposed in the …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Riparian Vegetation Along Satus Creek On The Yakama Indian Reservation, Kathryn Gellenbeck

All Master's Theses

Satus Creek provides critical habitat for the Yakima River Basin steelhead. A diverse community of riparian vegetation is important for healthy fish habitat; vegetation changes can affect shade, cover, channel structure, water quality, and food availability. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and illustrate riparian vegetation change, both temporally and spatially, along three separate reaches of Satus Creek. A Geographic Information Systems approach was applied to assess the vegetation change by comparing plant species composition and density on 1949 and 1995 aerial photographs. The GIS approach allowed patterns and trends in the vegetation to be identified. In less …

Issues And Conflicts In The Management Of The Public Domain Of The Saddle Mountains In Eastern Washington: A Case Study, James Jack Sharpe

All Master's Theses

This thesis examines the prehistoric, historic, and contemporary patterns of land use and their effects in the Saddle Mountains of eastern Washington. Federal laws and Indian treaties require that federal lands be managed to preserve natural and cultural resources while meeting the demands of private interests for economic development and of the general public for recreational access. Land management conflicts created by these diverse interests are reviewed in the context of the history of the study area, the legal framework that directs its management, and the management process as it actually works. It concludes with recommendations to resolve land use …

Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata) Restoration In Altered Sage Grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Of The Yakima Training Center In Central Washington, Margaret Ann Pounds

All Master's Theses

The restoration of sagebrush at the Yakima Training Center was studied because it was determined that military training was altering the condition of sage grouse habitat, potentially having a negative impact on the sage grouse population of the installation. The management of sage grouse and its habitat on YTC are a priority for the U.S. Army. The objectives of this study were to identify the issues relevant to sage grouse and the restoration of its habitat on the training facility, to investigate sagebrush restoration techniques, and to make management recommendations based upon this study. Results of this study indicate that …

Impacts Of Irrigation Development On Anadromous Fish In The Yakima River Basin, Washington, Robert L. Tuck

All Master's Theses

Prior to Euroamerican development, the Yakima River Basin was a major producer of salmon. Total runs of approximately 800,000 have declined to 3,000-5,000, or less than 1% of original run size. Three species are extinct in the basin, including summer chinook, coho, and sockeye.

Irrigation development, including the construction of unscreened diversions, the blockage of spawning and rearing habitat by reservoir dams, and the dewatering of spawning and rearing habitat, began in the mid-1800's and today totals approximately 500,000 acres. Historical records provide a wealth of information documenting irrigation development and its consequences on anadromous fish populations.

A Study Of The Summer Steelhead, Oncorhynchus Mykiss In Several Intermittent Tributaries Of The Satus Creek Basin, Washington, Joel Denney Hubble

All Master's Theses

The summer steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss population was studied in three intermittent tributaries in the Satus Creek Basin. There was a strong tendency for post emergent fry, resulting from redds located in intermittent reaches to move downstream. However, survival to perennial flow conditions was very low. Steelhead production in Dry Creek appears to be lower than in Logy Creek, because of elevated water temperatures and minimal spring and summer stream flow.

Evaluation And Impact Of Planning And Development Under The Washington State Shoreline Management Act, Donald S. Skone

All Master's Theses

The Shoreline Management Act of 1971, ballot proposition 43B, was approved by the voters of the State of Washington on November 7, 1972. The Act is designed to prevent uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the shorelines in Washington State. This study focuses on the impact of the Shoreline Management Act on development of the shorelines. Emphasis is placed on the non-development nature and intent of the Act. Included is a sample study of implementation of the Act under the Guidelines.