Conservation partners, volunteers help future wildlife habitat take root
It’s an annual tradition; many of us plant a garden or new shrubs, trees, or other plants in our yards or on our properties each spring. That is also the case on some Eastern Washington wildlife areas managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
About an acre of land on the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County went from grassy field to future prime wildlife habitat in late May when members of the Pheasants Forever (PF) Inland Empire Chapter, volunteers from the public, and WDFW staff planted over 700 native plants and shrubs to improve the area.
“We are extremely grateful for this work as we do not have the resources to complete such a wide-scale planting effort on our own,” said Sidra Blake, Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area manager. “WDFW’s dedicated wildlife area staff statewide are stretched thin. We’ve been working for years to increase our capacity to care for the lands and waters we protect for wildlife and people. Unfortunately, as a result of the state’s budget deficit we are instead going backwards — with less funding for restoration and other lands projects.”
Fortunately, WDFW has partners like Pheasants Forever. Earlier in April, the group did a similar large planting at WDFW’s Revere Wildlife Area unit in Whitman County and helped the Spokane Audubon Society with one of its projects along the Little Spokane River.
“This work will provide both food and thermal/escape cover for not only pheasants but also endangered grouse and other wildlife,” said PF Habitat Chairman Mike Gruenke, who plans and organizes planting events for the group and is already looking years into the future.
“I just placed a plant order yesterday for 1,300 plants that will be potted next spring and used for our 2028 habitat projects,” he said.
Gruenke was recently recognized with a Volunteer of the Year award from WDFW for his tireless work to restore habitat and native plants, and his innovative approach to problem solving.
The number of native and other plants needed for these planting events is both challenging to obtain and expensive. Close to 1,500 plants could cost between $12,000-$16,000 at retail prices, even with buying in bulk and discounts through the Washington Association of Conservation Districts. While that amount isn’t huge in the context of the overall state budget, it’s enough to make a big impact when it comes to land stewardship and provide a tremendous benefit to wildlife and people that use public lands.
Shrubs, trees, and plants purchased by PF are funded through fundraising events and donations. Gruenke is proud to point out that all the money PF raises goes to local projects on public land and local causes. But those funding sources are limited and a way to make their money go farther was needed.
That’s when the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC), a nonprofit devoted to protecting and caring for land and waters in the Inland Northwest, came up with a great idea. In 2023, INLC bought a piece of land, called Glen Tana, along the Little Spokane River that connects Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve (which abuts WDFW’s Waikiki Springs Wildlife Area Unit) for ecological restoration, wildlife habitat, and public access. Some of that land has since been transferred to Washington State Parks, where it will remain a designated natural area and open to the public. INLC retained some Glen Tana acreage, part of which now serves as a plant nursery to benefit area public lands and the people who use them.
“INLC does restoration projects not only on the 30,000 acres of land it has helped to conserve, but also other public lands, so we also have a need for affordable plants,” said Rose Macauley, Stewardship Director at INLC.
That need led to the decision to grow their own plants. But INLC recognized the need was bigger than just their organization, and that multiple groups could raise more plants and (literally) cover more ground than organizations working individually. With support from PF, The Lands Council (TLC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, INLC expanded the nursery to three times its original size, allowing each of the organizations to have their own plot allocated for their nursery stock.
“The Glen Tana site will increase our riparian tree planting capacity by providing us with additional nursery space at which we can raise our seedlings,” said Kat Hall, Watershed Restoration Program Director with TLC. “We will be able to raise about two-to-four thousand plants there annually, which will be planted along degraded streams in the Greater Spokane River watershed.”
This work will ensure that species that live in or near water have appropriate habitat to keep their populations healthy into the future. But the public that uses the public lands — whether for hiking, hunting, wildlife watching, fishing, or other activities — will reap the rewards too, including cleaner water and air, decreased fire risk, and sustained natural areas for outdoor recreation that benefits both our physical and mental health.
“At the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area, there is a plot that Pheasants Forever planted about two years ago that has matured nicely,” said WDFW’s Blake. “The more recent plots will look like this soon and will form islands of wildlife cover and shade on this rolling, shrubsteppe habitat.”
It’s hard to visualize the plants currently at the Glen Tana nursery being that big someday: The nonprofits buy bare root plants because they are less expensive than potted plants.
“We estimate that the entire nursery should be able to grow 16,000 plants annually, of which PF will have the capacity to grow 3,500 to 4,000 plants,” Gruenke said. “It is cutting our plant costs by about two-thirds. Plants used to cost us between $8 and $16 per plant. We’ve been able to get that down to $3 to $4.”
The bare root plants have to be potted each spring though and Gruenke needs volunteers to help with this work, as well as getting the previous year’s plants in the ground. Long term, INLC’s Macauley would like to get area students to help with this work through service-learning opportunities. She feels it will be a great opportunity to learn about horticulture and conservation while accruing volunteer hours; similar to on-the-job training.
“We’d like it to be a community hub for outdoor education,” said MacCauley. “That’s the goal. It will be kind of a toe-dipper to introduce school groups and others to not only what we’re doing but to conservation and the ecology of the area.”
Gruenke feels that the more people that are involved in this project, the more that can be accomplished and the further their investment will stretch.
“Funding just goes further when we work together,” he said. “We also partner with Spokane Audubon. They understand that some of us hunt birds. But they also understand that we’re passionate about conservation and making sure there are birds to both hunt and enjoy in the future.”
For Macauley, it just makes sense. She also sees the benefit of partnering to accomplish more together than either group could do individually.
“Conservation takes all types,” she said.
If you can help weed, care for, and plant trees, shrubs, and other plants, Pheasants Forever would love your help. You can find out about volunteer opportunities and upcoming projects on the Pheasants Forever Inland Empire Chapter 800 website, on their Facebook page or by emailing PFchapter800@gmail.com.
