Category Overview
Urban Wildlife Habitat projects fund close-to-home places to play and explore nature. As our urban areas are increasingly expanding and densifying, these grants protect important fish and wildlife habitat within five miles of densely populated areas, creating green refuges that help keep our ecosystems healthy and provide places to enjoy nature right in our backyards.
Project Highlights
The Department of Natural Resources used this grant to acquire approximately 39 acres within the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA), located within minutes of downtown Olympia and the City of Lacey. The properties included approximately 3 acres of riparian and wetland habitats and occurred along the shoreline of Henderson Inlet, portions of Woodard Creek and other small tributaries. These land acquisitions protected important habitat for wildlife, including nesting Bald Eagles, a significant heron rookery and the largest harbor seal nursery in south Puget Sound.