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The Fisher Reintroduction Plan Environmental Assessment (EA) has been completed and finalized, with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI and accompanying Errata are available on this website.
The EA was jointly prepared by Olympic National Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in collaboration with the Olympic National Forest and was released on September 7, 2007 for a 30-day public comment period.
The park received nearly 200 comment letters, each of which was carefully reviewed and used to help develop the FONSI and accompanying errata. A public meeting was held in Forks on September 18; three people attended but no comments were received at that time.
The selected alternative, Alternative B, has been implemented. Fishers have been captured from a source population in western Canada and reintroduced into Olympic National Park in the first of the three planned areas - the Elwha-Sol Duc. Future plans include releasing fishers into the Hoh-Bogachiel and the Queets-Quinault areas. A founder population of at least 100 fishers will be released over a three-year period.
* indicates the current step in the planning process
Step 1. Review WDFW Feasibility Assessment
Step 2. Define purpose and need
Step 3. Preliminary Internal Scoping (Park, Cooperators, and Tribes)
Step 4. Develop Internal Scoping Report
Step 5. Conduct External Scoping
Step 6. Refine alternatives
Step 7. Identify environmental impacts and select preferred alternative
Step 8. Prepare environmental assessment
Step 9. Public review of environmental assessment
Step 10. Analyze public comments
Step 11. Prepare decision document
Step 12. Release final decision to the public
Step 13. Implement Selected Alternative *
A program to monitor the success of the reintroduced fisher population has been selected as eligible for matching funds through the National Park Service Centennial Initiative. Although the Centennial Initiative still awaits congressional approval, two partner groups, Conservation Northwest and the Washington's National Park Fund have both pledged monetary support for this project.
If the fisher reintroduction is successful, this effort would lead to removal of the species from the state's endangered species list and restoration of one of Washington's native species.
The EA was jointly prepared by Olympic National Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in collaboration with the Olympic National Forest and was released on September 7, 2007 for a 30-day public comment period.
The park received nearly 200 comment letters, each of which was carefully reviewed and used to help develop the FONSI and accompanying errata. A public meeting was held in Forks on September 18; three people attended but no comments were received at that time.
The selected alternative, Alternative B, has been implemented. Fishers have been captured from a source population in western Canada and reintroduced into Olympic National Park in the first of the three planned areas - the Elwha-Sol Duc. Future plans include releasing fishers into the Hoh-Bogachiel and the Queets-Quinault areas. A founder population of at least 100 fishers will be released over a three-year period.
* indicates the current step in the planning process
Step 1. Review WDFW Feasibility Assessment
Step 2. Define purpose and need
Step 3. Preliminary Internal Scoping (Park, Cooperators, and Tribes)
Step 4. Develop Internal Scoping Report
Step 5. Conduct External Scoping
Step 6. Refine alternatives
Step 7. Identify environmental impacts and select preferred alternative
Step 8. Prepare environmental assessment
Step 9. Public review of environmental assessment
Step 10. Analyze public comments
Step 11. Prepare decision document
Step 12. Release final decision to the public
Step 13. Implement Selected Alternative *
A program to monitor the success of the reintroduced fisher population has been selected as eligible for matching funds through the National Park Service Centennial Initiative. Although the Centennial Initiative still awaits congressional approval, two partner groups, Conservation Northwest and the Washington's National Park Fund have both pledged monetary support for this project.
If the fisher reintroduction is successful, this effort would lead to removal of the species from the state's endangered species list and restoration of one of Washington's native species.