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BRANT MANAGEMENT IN WASHINGTON
Don KraegeWDFW Waterfowl Section Manager
PACIFIC BRANT RANGE
FOUR BRANT “STOCKS”
BREEDING AREAS OF WASHINGTON BRANT
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
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)
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
160000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
WA & AK BRANT TRENDS
05000
1000015000200002500030000350004000045000
1960
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2010
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
0
10
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60
1975
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2008
2009
HARVEST RECORD CARDS
300-400 active hunters
Mandatory report
90% of harvest in Skagit Co.
SKAGIT COUNTY BRANT HARVEST
0
500
1000
1500
2000
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3000
350019
7519
7719
7919
8119
8319
8519
8719
8919
9119
9319
9519
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9920
0120
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0720
09
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