Fisher Restoration on the Olympic Peninsula
Researchers at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, have been involved in fisher restoration to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula since 2008, when fishers were reintroduced to the peninsula following decades of extirpation.
Researchers from the FRESC Olympic Field Station are collaborating with the Makah Tribe Forestry and Wildlife Biologists to monitor habitat use of radio-collared fishers, estimate fisher density, and quantify distribution and abundance of key prey species. The study area includes the Makah Reservation, Makah land in fee status, a portion of the coastal strip of Olympic National Park, the north end of Lake Ozette, and surrounding private timber land. The goal of this study is to compare the use of managed and unmanaged forest habitats by fishers and refine population estimates and genetic data. This information will help managers balance efforts to recover fisher populations while maintaining sustainable timber operations. Previous work has documented fisher movements and habitat selection following introduction, examined genetics of the restored fisher population, and estimated peninsula-wide fisher use in relation to key habitat characteristics.
Read more about fisher reintroductions on the National Park Service website: Fisher Reintroduction - Olympic National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Researchers at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, have been involved in fisher restoration to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula since 2008, when fishers were reintroduced to the peninsula following decades of extirpation.
Researchers from the FRESC Olympic Field Station are collaborating with the Makah Tribe Forestry and Wildlife Biologists to monitor habitat use of radio-collared fishers, estimate fisher density, and quantify distribution and abundance of key prey species. The study area includes the Makah Reservation, Makah land in fee status, a portion of the coastal strip of Olympic National Park, the north end of Lake Ozette, and surrounding private timber land. The goal of this study is to compare the use of managed and unmanaged forest habitats by fishers and refine population estimates and genetic data. This information will help managers balance efforts to recover fisher populations while maintaining sustainable timber operations. Previous work has documented fisher movements and habitat selection following introduction, examined genetics of the restored fisher population, and estimated peninsula-wide fisher use in relation to key habitat characteristics.
Read more about fisher reintroductions on the National Park Service website: Fisher Reintroduction - Olympic National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)