Washington department of fish and wildlife (WDFW) manages the cbwa (contract no. 3-07-16-L3726) which consists of 136,941.72 acres owned by U.S. Bureau of reclamation (USBR)

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) awarded $900,000 to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) under the Recreation Resources Management program (CFDA 15.524) on October 1, 2025, to manage vegetation control operations at the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area (CBWA). Over the five-year project period through September 30, 2030, WDFW will implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach utilizing cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to control noxious weeds, manage wetland habitats, and reduce wildfire fuel loads across the 136,941.72-acre USBR-owned facility. The project deliverables include implementation of vegetation control across a minimum of 2,000 acres annually, with primary work focused on parking areas, water access sites (boat launches, fishing piers, vault toilets), roadways, and other designated USBR-owned portions of the CBWA.

The project addresses a longstanding obligation under the 2002 Potholes Resource Management Plan to develop a comprehensive vegetation management plan at the facility. By reducing wildfire fuel loads and maintaining recreational infrastructure, the project enhances public safety and reduces region-wide wildfire costs while improving the user experience across the recreation area. No subrecipient activities were identified at the time of award.

Activities

Operations for vegetation management at the columbia basin wildlife area (CBWA) (contract no. 3-07-16-L3726), which consists of 136,941.72 acres owned by U.S. Bureau of reclamation (USBR).washington department of fish and wildlife (WDFW) supports integrated pest management, utilizing cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to combat noxious weeds, manage wetland habitats, and reduce fuels on usbrs federal estate on the CBWA for five years, from october 2025 through september 2030.expected deliverables or outcomes: the 2002 potholes resource management plan obligates USBR to develop a vegetation management plan but one does not exist to date. Staff will implement at least 2,000 acres of vegetation control annually using IPM. The work will primarily take place around parking areas, at water access sites (boat launches, fishing piers, vault toilets), along roadways, and on other USBR-owned portions of the CBWA.

Intended beneficiaries

Effective vegetation management reduces wildfire fuel loads, enhancing public safety and lowering the costs associated with wildfires in the region. A comprehensive vegetation management plan will address these challenges, ultimately improving the recreational experience for all users while promoting a safer environment and saving taxpayer dollars.subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): N a.