How 'Bout those Fishers?
photo Kevin Bacher, NPS
On Thursday, 3 December 2015, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service and Conservation Northwest took the first step in restoring fishers to the Cascade Ecosystem of Washington. These organizations and their partners are working together to reintroduce fishers to the Cascade Mountain Range. They released the first group of fishers at the Cispus Learning Center in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, approximately 10 miles south of the town of Randle, Washington. A total of 7 fishers (4 females and 3 males) were released in front of a large group of wildlife enthusiasts interested in seeing the first fishers return to the Cascades. The second fisher release event occurred Wednesday 23 December and was also at the Cispus Learning Center. Wintery and wet conditions, prior commitments, and the busy nature of the holiday season made it difficult for many folks to attend the release but about 25 hardy souls made the trek out to the Center. These folks helped release 4 fishers (3 males and 1 female) into the snowy forest landscape. More releases are slated to occur soon. Mount Rainier National Park will be releasing fishers at Ohanapecosh and Longmire, possibly this month. For the full story and photos from the first releases, please visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/fisher/updates_cascade.html.