The farmland preservation category provides funding to protect valuable, productive farmland and habitat for salmon and other species. These projects allow families to continue farming the land they have worked on for generations and provide Washingtonians with healthy local food and a diverse economy. WWRP is the only source of farmland preservation funding in the state budget.
This month’s featured project is The Upper Naneum Creek Farm, located on the ancestral land of the Yakama. The primary benefit of this project is the preservation of working farmland, supporting irrigated pasture for cattle and also providing habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species. The preservation of this 150-acre family-owned farm would ensure farming and ranching is viable, with the potential to supplement stream flows for aquatic and riparian habitats. This project will also protect critical areas along Naneum Creek, its floodplain, and associated wetlands and riparian habitat rich in fish and wildlife habitat. he Upper Naneum Watershed has cold clean water and access to this watershed for Mid-Columbia Steelhead continues to be an important goal for steelhead recovery efforts within the Upper Yakima River Basin. This project helps ensure the intact and functioning fish and wildlife habitat will be protected from development.