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F&G completes major habitat restoration and access improvements at Fort Boise WMA

Hunters have already discovered that Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area is back open for business after a year of being closed for construction. The WMA, located west of Parma, was reopened for hunters just in time for the fall waterfowl and pheasant seasons. 

Over the last year, Fish and Game staff and contractors restored and enhanced the WMA's ponds and wetlands, which will make it better wildlife habitat and also improve hunting opportunities for waterfowl, upland birds and small game, as well as other wildlife recreation. Another key focus was to improve access during the hunting season.

“The scope of this project is pretty rare for Fish and Game,“ said Tyler Archibald, Fort Boise WMA manager. “To do something this large and with this amount of funding and moving parts was a big deal for us, and a big deal for the public.”

Fort Boise was established more than 60 years ago, and its aging infrastructure and overgrown ponds had reduced its capacity for waterfowl and shorebirds and made hunter access challenging. 

Fish and Game staff documented the renovation of the wetland complex and here’s a chance to see what happened during this major project. 

Changes may look subtle to long-time visitors to the WMA, but there's more than meets the eye. Beneath the water and new plant growth lies a totally rebuilt infrastructure. The biggest improvement is how water can be moved around the property. The newly constructed system helps managers easily move water to create the kind of habitat waterfowl and shorebirds need at different times of the year. 

Lean more about the Fort Boise WMA's benefits for wildlife and opportunities for the public. 

These additional video clips show the before and after of several of the WMA’s main ponds and wetlands.

Aerial view

Redhead Pond

 

Swan Pond

Whitefront Pond