- o J r! '. ; P ' 



C 



'•0 nrr.itional land should be Durchased at Flathead WPA (Fiqure 6); howeve'-, 

 'he drf?3 should be imoroved tor goose oroduction and brood survival, 

 -r-psent'/, goose brcoas have limited aDility to move because of driftwood 

 accumulation and heavy cattail growth. Channels should be constructed from 

 ODen beach areas to an old dike that borders the uplands. Channels should be 

 150 '0 300 feet Icnq and up to 100 feet wide. Pilings snould be driven near 

 "he entrance of the cnannels to minimise driftwood movement into the trood 

 areas . 



'''^ere :s also a need for nesting structures but because of their low cost and 

 the will-'ngness of local conservation grouos to install them, they do not need 

 soecial attention in this report. 



ESTIMATED COST FOR ACQUISITION 



Cost '■"or land acquisition of WPA ' s Smith Lake and Swan River lands (5973 

 acres') would be 58 million based upon recent land sales in the area. Cost for 

 ■.■nhancement-type projects are unknown since engineering designs and estimates 

 were not done. 



SOURCES CF FUNDING 



rjnding for acquisition or improvement can come from three major sources; 

 Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF), Land and Water Conservation Fund 

 'l.WCF), and Bonneville Power Administration (SPA) mitigation funds. 



WPA tracts, except for Smith Lake, should be purchased with MBCF or BRA 

 monies. Acquisition and development at Smith Lake should be funded by BPA or 

 private organizations. 



Swan River NWR was authorized as a migratory bird refuge and therefore 

 cualifies for MBCF money. Because of its primitive characteristics and 

 limited waterfowl productivity, the FWS should seek LWCF and BPA funding to 

 acquire additional land there. 



Habitat improvement projects on Flathead WPA should be funded by BPA or 

 private organizations. Limited money for such projects in the FWS makes them 

 '' ow priority in Region 6 because many other refuges have greater waterfowl use 

 and productivity. 



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