Busy Wild Creek Forestland Preservation

Category Overview

Forestland Preservation grants help improve opportunities for forest management activity and improve the long-term growth and harvest of timber. These projects help protect many different kinds of forests, including, but not limited to, large-scale industrial forests, small private landowner forests, community forests, and tribally - or publicly-owned and managed forests.

Project Highlights

This project will acquire a conservation easement on 320 acres of commercial timberlands near and along 0.7 miles of Busy Wild Creek and 1.4 miles of its feeder streams, which are in the Mashel River sub-basin of the Nisqually River Watershed. The easement will enhance habitat protection already in place on 2.4 miles of Busy Wild Creek immediately below the target property to extend and buffer federal, state, and local protected habitat for northern spotted owls, marbled murrelets, and steelhead trout. The property has steep, unstable slopes and the easement will maintain the property as working forest with management designed to increase streamflow and improve water quality while also permanently protecting approximately one mile of the most popular section of the Mount Tahoma Trails hut-to-hut cross-country ski trail. The primary opportunities provided by this project is forestland conservation and passive winter recreation.

Quick Facts

WWRP Applicant: Nisqually Land Trust Category: Forestland Preservation WWRP Grant: $ 350,000.00 Applicant Match: 360400 Project Type: Acquisition County: Pierce Legislative District: 2 Status: Not Implemented RCO Project # 18-1886

Location Details

From the junction of S.R. 702 and S.R. 7: Proceed south and then west on S.R. 7 for 19.2 miles, to its junction with S.R. 706. Go west on S.R. 706 for 7.3 miles, to Ashford County Park. Access to the site is via the 45 Road network of logging roads, which starts from the north side of S.R. 706 and immediately adjoins, to the west, the county park. There is a locked timber gate at the 45 Road entrance; contact the Land Trust (360-489-3400) for entry. The main stem of the 45 Road is well maintained and will provide access to most of the property, depending on snow conditions.

What is the WWRP

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) is a state grant program that creates and conserves local and state parks, wildlife habitat and working farms. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office administers WWRP grants, and the legislature funds the program.