Cottonwood Enhancement. The District will continue its efforts to enhance cottonwood habitat on the Tacoma Creek and Xxxxxxx Island Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and in areas outside the WMAs (as required by the Project license, Article 407). The District is also required to establish at least 14 acres of cottonwoods and at least 11 acres of riparian shrub habitat in the Project area (Forest Service Section 4(e) Condition No. 12). Additional acreage of cottonwoods can be substituted for the riparian shrub habitat, if desired. Three additional acres of cottonwoods are required to be established; 50 existing cottonwoods caged to protect them; and 100 pine trees planted on NFS lands within the Project area (shoreline). To date the District has completed and is maintaining several acres of cottonwood plantings along Tacoma Creek in the WMA. Livestock have been excluded from the WMAs and other areas owned by the District along the shoreline, resulting in the resurgence of herbaceous and woody vegetation, including 1,500 feet of willows along the shoreline. Cottonwood stands currently cover approximately 0.5 acre on the Xxxxxxx Island WMA and 3.2 acres on the Tacoma Creek WMA. Cottonwood is also a significant constituent of an additional 3.4 acres of mixed forest on the Tacoma Creek WMA. These developing stands will continue to be managed and protected to encourage growth and increase stand density to better contribute cooling to the river. Outside the WMAs, the District has delineated 25 acres of the required habitats – 17.4 acres of cottonwood habitat, and 7.6 of wet shrub habitat. These lands were dedicated by the District to wildlife habitat in July 2008 through permanent conservation easements. An additional 7.6 acres was also identified as potentially suitable for cottonwoods and shrubs. Plantings and fencing to exclude herbivores were installed, and future plantings and protection actions are planned. These cottonwood enhancement measures are integral to this TAP, because stands of climax woody riparian vegetation help reduce river temperatures by slowing spring snow melt, reducing peak local air temperature, and providing direct shading to the affected nearshore area of the mainstem and creek mouths.
