BRANT MANAGEMENT IN WASHINGTON

Don KraegeWDFW Waterfowl Section Manager

PACIFIC BRANT RANGE

FOUR BRANT “STOCKS”

BREEDING AREAS OF WASHINGTON BRANT

0%

10%

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100%

PADILLA/S

AMIS

H

BOUNDARY/BIR

CH

DUNGENESS

OTHER WA A

REAS

W. HIGH ARCTIC LOW ARCTICALASKA From Reed et al 1989

MANAGEMENT ASPECTS

Significant management interest from international wildlife agencies, Pacific Flyway, WDFW

Key species in Pacific Coast Joint Venture Strategic Plan for habitat protection

Two stocks managed in Pacific Flyway

Highly dependent on eelgrass during migration and winter – “sea goose”

Populations subject to boom-bust arctic breeding conditions

MAIN BRANT USE AREAS IN WA

PADILLA, SAMISH, FIDALGO BAYS (12,000)LUMMI, BIRCH BAYS (8,000)

GRAYS HARBOR AND WILLAPA BAY (3000)

HOOD CANAL (500)

DUNGENESS (1000)

OTHER PUGET SOUND AREAS (500)

(PACIFIC FLYWAY OBJECTIVES IN PARENTHESES)

MAIN WINTERING AREA FOR WHA BRANT

PADILLA, SAMISH, FIDALGO BAYS

SKAGIT COUNTY

ANACORTES

PACIFIC FLYWAY BRANT TRENDS (exc. WHA)

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1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

WA & AK BRANT TRENDS

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WASHINGTON SKAGIT CO (WHA) IZEMBEK AK

BRANT HUNTING AREAS IN WASHINGTON

SKAGIT CO. (PADILLA, SAMISH, FIDALGO BAYS)

PACIFIC CO. (WILLAPA BAY)

BRANT HARVEST STRATEGY

Set seasons to meet objectives in Pacific Flyway plan, WDFW Game Mgmt. Plan

Close/restrict Skagit Co. season if winter survey <6000 brant (occurred in 2001 and 2003)

Provide restricted season designed to minimize harvest of WHA brant (<10%)

No season in an area if less than 1000 brantObtain precise estimates of harvest through

mandatory reporting (since 1990)

SKAGIT COUNTY SEASON DAYS

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HARVEST RECORD CARDS

300-400 active hunters

Mandatory report

90% of harvest in Skagit Co.

SKAGIT COUNTY BRANT HARVEST

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SWINOMISH SPIT GAME RESERVE

Enhanced access to grit, used in the digestive process

Enhanced access to eelgrass, other food

High quality area for resting and preening

Shelter from severe weather and hunting pressure

BRANT MANAGEMENT MILESTONES

Closed / restrictive seasons in WA – 1980-2010

Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Goose Management Plan - 1986

PCJV - 1991

Independent Scientific Peer Review of Padilla Bay Brant Management – 1999

Washington Brant Foundation established – 2001

First Washington Brant Festival – 2003

Pacific Flyway Mgmt. Plan revision (WHA) - 2004

RESEARCH

WHA projects coordinated on breeding area by Sean Boyd, Canadian Wildlife Service

Banding and color marking on breeding area in 2000, 2002, 2005

Genetic /color delineation

Satellite telemetry monitoring

RESEARCH

RESEARCH

David Ward, USGS Alaska Science Center

Nutritional quality of eelgrass throughout the Pacific Flyway

Brant staging patterns in relation to eelgrass regeneration

Effects of sea level rise on distribution and abundance of eelgrass and brant populations

N. American Arctic Goose Conference – Portland, Jan 2011

BRANT MANAGEMENT IN WASHINGTON

Significant management interest from international wildlife agencies, Pacific Flyway

Key species in Pacific Coast Joint Venture Strategic Plan for habitat protection

Increased WDFW management emphasis

SUMMARY