Project Need Thurston County is one of the most rapidly developing counties in Washington and is losing an average of more than 1,000 acres of farmland a year to other uses. With the population expected to increase by another 150,000 people over the next 15 years, there is a great urgency to protect working farms in the county before they are lost forever. Project Goal This project seeks to conserve the Black River Ranch, a 725-acre dairy farm located in the middle reach of the Black River. It is one of the largest dairy farms in the county and contains a diverse complex of wetlands, floodplain, riparian and upland habitat, as well as extensive productive agricultural lands. The property also contains close to 1,000 acre feet of water rights. Finally, the property is uniquely situated between large protected areas; Glacial Heritage Preserve to the east and Mima Creek Preserve to the west. The protection of the Black River Ranch will combine farmland protection funding and conservation funding to conserve the agricultural and conservation values of the property. It is a unique opportunity that has the potential to not only preserve one of the largest farms in Thurston County, but can also serve as a demonstration site for how conservation and agriculture values can work cooperatively. Partnerships The project is an innovative partnership project between conservation land trusts, agricultural land trusts, local government, tribal government, private landowners, and state and federal agencies.