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 (DNR) proposes to protect 390.51 acres of undeveloped wetland, riparian, & mature forest habitats within the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA) boundary, located in Thurston County within 2.5 miles of Olympia & 1.5 miles of Lacey. The NRCA was designated by the legislature to protect a diverse array of salt & freshwater habitats & wildlife species near of one the state’s faster growing urban areas & is a favorite destination for people to connect with nature, frequently visited by K-12 students & higher education classes. DNR’s goal is to acquire the proposed Priority Properties in fee for permanent protection in the NRCA. The Priority Properties include the most significant wetland complex on the peninsula between Budd & Henderson Inlets, which plays a key role in hydrologic & habitat connectivity; the largest known maternity bat colony in the state roosts within the NRCA under the pier in Henderson Inlet & forages over these freshwater wetlands. The properties also include 3 acres of mature native forest within the core of the NRCA, connecting habitat for nesting & roosting birds & enhancing water quality for threatened salmonids utilizing Woodard Bay. The NRCA protects 21 priority species & 9 state-listed priority habitats, including fresh deepwater & Puget Sound nearshore. Species within the conservation area include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, purple martins, harbor seals, Olympia oysters, & great blue herons.