Category Overview
Farmland Preservation protects valuable farmland and habitat for recreationally important animals, like salmon, birds, deer, and elk. 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.
Project Highlights
In April 2021, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) acquired 50 development rights and placed a permanent agricultural conservation easement on approximately 2,480 acres of the Breiler Ranch in Douglas County. This fourth generation dryland wheat farming and grazing operation produces wheat and similar non-irrigated grain crops and supports 40-60 cow/calf pairs. In addition to its agricultural benefits, permanent protection of the dryland agriculture and high quality shrub-steppe grasslands on the property helps meet Douglas County’s Habitat Conservation Plan for the greater sage grouse, a state endangered species present on the property. This property adjoins another almost 7,000 acre dryland wheat and cattle ranch on which CDLT recently acquired a conservation easement.