The newly acquired Cinnamon Creek WMA needs several enhancements to improve habitat for wildlife and to promote a better experience for those that recreate on the property. Currently, there are no signs that describe who owns the property, what the purpose of the property is, what dates the WMA is open, and what activities are allowed. Additionally, there are no signs along the boundaries or within the WMA that describe new travel restrictions that will put into place during summer of 2022. The WMA also needs significant road work. Due to the soil types and geology of the location, roads near and within WMA are susceptible to erosion and are easily damage by vehicle traffic when roads are wet. Additionally, little work has been done in the past to maintain and improve the road base and drainage. This combination has created situation where standard vehicle access can be challenging. Fences and gates are also a critical need for the new WMA. Many of the current fences and gates are not adequate to control access to the property, as they can be taken down easily or circumvented. There are also many locations without fencing. New fences and gates are needed to prevent illegal access, ensure wildlife habitat is protected during critical seasons, and reduce damage to roads. In recent years, several of the springs within the WMA have had reduced flows or are not flowing at all. The lack of water in these areas affects the distribution of wildlife and reduces the quality of habitat. We believe that restoration projects can done that will to get these springs flowing again.

The main objectives of project are to: 1. Install signs at main entrances, along borders, and at key locations within the WMA to control motorized travel. 2. Improve roads by installing culverts and roads base, and grading damaged roads. 3. Flatten and improve the Ant Flat parking area. 4.Install new gates at main access points to enforce new seasonal closures and motorized travel restrictions. 5. Install new fencing to control motorized travel and livestock grazing. 6. Restore springs within the WMA improve the availability of water for wildlife.

N/A

An interim habitat management plan is currently being drafted by DWR that will include the objectives described above.

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The project will increase the availability of water through the restoration of six springs within the WMA.

N/A, DWR owned land

Signs: All signs will be ordered, transported, and installed by DWR staff and volunteers. Materials could be purchased in FY22 and work could begin in May. Roads and parking lot expansion: The majority of the road and parking lot work will be done by the DWR heavy equipment crew and Northern Region DWR staff. Contractors will be used to move road base to the project area. Road base will be added to main roads to decrease rutting and reduce annual road maintenance. Culverts will be added to main roads to improve drainage, reduce erosion and decrease damage from run off. The Ant flat parking area will be flattened and improved. To accomplish this, the perimeter fence will be moved, road based will be added to the lot, and the lot will be graded. Equipment and materials could be purchased in FY22 and work could begin in June. Fencing and gates: Fence and gate materials will be purchased and transported by DWR staff. Small repairs and installations will be done by DWR staff. Large sections of new fence and installation of gates with long wing fences will be installed by a contractor. Materials could be purchased in FY22 and installation could begin in June. Spring Restoration: DWR staff will purchase materials (drains and pipes), rent equipment and transport items to the project location. Construction will be done DWR staff and, where feasible, some volunteers. Materials could be purchased in FY22 and construction could begin in June.

Wildlife use at spring restoration locations will be monitored using remote cameras.

Mule Deer Foundation, Sportsman for Fish and Wildlife

This project is the first phase and many improvements that will be made to the Cinnamon Creek WMA in the coming years. Beginning Spring 2022, DWR crews will begin surveying roads, fences, and vegetation to determine future needs and potential opportunities for improvement.

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07/01/2022

06/30/2023

2023

The Cinnamon Creek WMA was purchased by the DWR in the fall of 2021. This project is the first of several phases of improvements that will be made to the WMA over the coming years. During phase one, we performed several enhancements to the WMA to improve habitat for wildlife and to promote a better experience for those that recreate on the property. The enhancements include improved parking and road access at the entrance of the WMA, reclaiming a number of unauthorized roads and revegetating those areas, installing signs throughout the property to inform the public on how to properly use the property, and purchasing fencing materials to control domestic livestock and vehicle use.

Road improvements: Intensive road improvements were performed by the DWR heavy equipment crew on the first 0.25 mile of the Mineral Point Road. The road location was adjustable to improve drainage and passability. Approximately 65 tons of road base were added to the road surface. A large culvert was installed adjacent to the main parking area. This culvert eliminated a large puddle that existed in the road for much of the spring and fall. We also performed approximately 4 miles of light road work on the Mineral Point Road farther into the WMA. We removed large rocks, filled in holes, and installed water bars at key locations. We reclaimed several unauthorized spur roads by recontouring the road surface and placing physical barriers such as boulders. When necessary, reclaimed areas were also reseeded with native plants. Parking lot improvements: The main parking area at the intersection of the Mineral Point and Ant Flat Roads received significant improvements. Prior to construction, the 0.33 acre parking area had a significant slope and many large rocks (see before photo). A large amount of material was excavated and relocated to flatten and expand the parking surface. Additionally, ~35 tons of road base were added to the parking area. Heavy gate posts were installed so a seasonal closure on the property could be enforced. Signs: We installed over 40 signs throughout the WMA. A large WMA sign was placed near the parking area on Ant Flat. Habitat restoration and road closed signs were installed on spur roads to restrict vehicle traffic to main roads. Two grouse identification description signs were installed on the WMA, describing the identification differences among Greater sage grouse (not hunted on the WMA), Sharp-tailed grouse (requires a sharp tailed permit), Dusky grouse, and Ruffed grouse. Fences: We surveyed the condition and location of fences on the property. We purchased several hundred t-posts, drill pipe posts, rolls of wire, dancers, and gates to construct new fences on the property. The fence materials were not installed this fiscal year because of the long winter and wet spring weather conditions. We plan to install these materials in FY24 and FY25. Spring Restoration: Due to wet weather, many springs have increased flow so we did not do any spring restoration work this fiscal year. However, we are mapping and studying water flow at existing springs to determine the need for spring restoration and water development in the future. Habitat Monitoring: We installed 10 trail cameras on a grid system evenly spaced throughout the WMA. These cameras will help us monitor wildlife species composition and distribution, habitat condition, and recreational use on the WMA.

We will continue to improve the roads, vegetation, water distribution and fences on the property in the next few years. A Habitat Management Plan Committee is currently meeting and discussing the development of the plan for the WMA.