Category Overview
As Washington continues to grow, many of our most beautiful areas are threatened with development. In addition, native ecosystems are receding, and important wildlife habitat and migratory pathways are being cut off. The Natural Areas category helps combat this by funding projects that protect wildlife habitat and rare geological features while also preserving public access for back-country recreation.
Project Highlights
DNR used this grant to acquire Property 1C for inclusion in the Bone River NAP. All work in order to successfully purchase a property was completed for 1C. By purchasing this property we have protected Bone River in perpetuity, protecting the site from future logging and associated siltation, weed introduction, loss of biodiversity and structural diversity, edge effects etc. This conservation purchase also reduces edge effects to interior of the preserve. It will also protect watershed function (water quality, minimize flashy runoff, water temperatures etc) by protecting tree cover. The purchase also helps DNR control the types of access that are appropriate for the site. It also prevents the potential addition of homes and the weeds, pets, pesticides, septic failure, noise and other disturbances that can be associated with development. Additionally, DNR spent time communicating with all the other priority parcel owners at both Bone and Niawiakum River Natural Areas, and for a variety of reasons none were willing to engage with us to entertain an offer at this time. For example, the owner of 2c is conservation minded but the timing is not right anymore for them to sell, no matter what type of sale (CE, life estate, fee simple).