Wildlife Experts Keep Close Watch on Hanford Critters

RICHLAND, Wash. – An important part of EM’s role in managing the Hanford Site during cleanup is conserving natural resources, including protecting the diverse range of species found on the desert landscape.

Biologists with EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) recently collaborated with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on a conservation project to study the genetics of Townsend’s ground squirrels and place identification bands on newly hatched burrowing owls. Both animals are on WDFW’s list of species that are candidates for state listing as endangered, threatened, or sensitive.

“The unique shrub-steppe ecosystem found on the Hanford Site supports an unusually high diversity of native plants and animals, and continued dedication to environmental management enhances the wildlife and their habitats,” said Thomas Ferns, Hanford National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance officer.

A survey conducted this past spring noted a decline in the population of Townsend’s ground squirrels on the Hanford Site. To learn more about the decrease, HMIS biologists worked with WDFW to collect small tissue samples from ground squirrels found off the Hanford Site, which may serve as a reference point. By analyzing the genetics, they’ll look for any connection between the healthy ground squirrel population and the depleting one. Future action could include safely relocating some of the animals to help strengthen the community on the Hanford Site.

“Townsend’s ground squirrels are an important species that provide ecological functions. They serve as prey to many predators, help with soil fertility and plant production through burrowing and feeding, and furnish burrow habitats for other species,” said Justin Wilde, HMIS wildlife biologist.

HMIS biologists also added small identification bands to young burrowing owls hatched inside artificial burrow systems on the Hanford Site. Since early 2018, artificial nesting habitats helped slow the decline, and began the recovery of, the burrowing owl population. Working with state and federal agencies, the team added bands from the U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory to the legs of 22 chicks and one adult. This will help biologists better understand and support regional owl conservation.