In august of 2022, the vantage fire burned approximately 30,000 acres of state public lands in east kittitas county, WA

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a $300,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife (CFDA 15.631) program to the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). The award will support a 3-year project (2025-2027) to restore 350 acres of habitat within the Whiskey Dick Unit of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area that was impacted by the 2022 Vantage Fire in Washington. WDFW will conduct invasive plant removal and native plant restoration, including seeding grasses and forbs and planting sagebrush, to increase the footprint of designated Growth Opportunity Area (GOA) habitat. This habitat restoration work aims to provide viable habitat for state and federally recognized species of conservation concern and game species.

The burn was primarily in the shrubsteppe habitats of the whiskey dick and quilomene units of the L.T. Murray wildlife area managed by the WA department of fish and wildlife. The fire impacted several ecosystem types to varying degrees of intensity. During this one-month burn, natural and cultural resources were heavily impacted by the fire and suppression activities. The fire event and activities resulted in the extensive loss of big sagebrush and associated upland and riparian plant communities that are vital to many wildlife and game species, and resource protection. Additionally, the disturbances provided habitat for an extensive invasive plant issue. Within the burn area, there is roughly 3,500 acres of federally designated growth opportunity area (GOA) habitat. GOA is habitat that is healthy and intact enough to become core habitat with conservation action and time. The whiskey dick shrubsteppe resiliency project aims to perform post-fire restoration of GOA habitat located within the whiskey dick unit just north of ginkgo petrified forest state park. The primary goal of this project is to restore lands impacted by wildfire from the 2022 vantage fire event, while increasing the footprint of WA state designated core habitat and federally designated GOA habitat. Over a 3-year period (2025-2027), 350 acres of GOA will be restored by the WA department of fish and wildlife. In the spring and summer seasons, invasive plant removal of the project sites will be performed to limit native plant competition. In the fall, restoration planting of the prepped areas will occur by broadcast seeding native grasses and forbs, and planting sagebrush and associated native plant species plugs. This habitat restoration will, in time, provide viable habitat for state and federally recognized species of conservation concern and game species such as: black and white-tailed jackrabbits, townsends ground squirrel, mule deer, burrowing owls, sage thrasher, ELK, and striped whipsnake. Additionally, IT will increase the footprint of native shrubsteppe habitat in the state of washington, which has been greatly impacted over the last several decades.