Critical Habitat projects are our state’s primary tool for conserving important fish and wildlife habitat. These projects protect the rich and diverse habitats in our forests, prairies, and wetlands. These funds help maintain our state’s biodiversity and protect species that are popular for hunting, birding, and other outdoor recreation, and are critical for the health of our salmon and fish populations.
This month’s featured project is the Grays River Watershed- West Fork Conservation Area located on the ancestral lands of the Wahkiakum, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Chinook, Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla. The Columbia Land Trust is using this grant to acquire approximately 537 acres, including about 70 acres of anadromous salmon streams in Wahkiakum County in southwest Washington. The primary conservation opportunities provided by this project are to create a corridor connecting marbled murrelet habitat and restore and protect the most significant chum salmon population remaining in the Lower Columbia River Basin.
