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Fishers return to Olympic Park

Five more animals reintroduced today

By John Dodge | The Olympian • Published January 17, 2009

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Reintroduction of the fisher, a large, stocky member of the weasel family, continues today in the Olympic National Park in the Staircase area of Lake Cushman near Hoodsport.

Five of the short-legged, bushy-tailed mammals, which are about the size of a cat, will be released into the wild as part of a three-year, multi-agency project to place about 100 fishers on the Olympic Peninsula.

Rare in Washington

The fisher, listed as a state endangered species in 1998, was driven to extinction in Washington state by habitat loss and overtrapping in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

"As the project goes on, we look forward to establishing a thriving fisher population in Washington State, said Dave Brittell, wildlife program assistant director for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Also on Saturday, nine fishers will be released in the Queets River drainage near Forks, state Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Marian Snyder said.

"They're being released throughout the Olympic Peninsula," Snyder. "But they're pretty secretive. It's unlikely park visitors will see them in the wild."

Already successful

The fishers taking up residence on the peninsula were captured and imported from the British Columbia interior.

A total of 18 animals, each equipped with a tiny radio transmitter, were released into the park last January and March. Of the 18, only three are known to have died, according to wildlife biologists monitoring their survival rates.

One was killed by a bobcat in the Elwha Valley, a second was struck by a vehicle while crossing Highway 101 near Forks and the third died in a remote area of the park and wasn't recovered.

"An 81 percent survival rate is quite high and is very encouraging as we begin year two of this project," Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin said.

Another 14 fishers were reintroduced into the Elwha and Sol Duc River valleys in December 2008.

The project include several partners, including state Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, conservation groups, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and the British Columbia Trappers Association.

John Dodge can be reached at jdodge@theolympian.com or 360-754-5444