Category Overview
The State Lands Restoration and Enhancement category provides funding to two state agencies to help repair damaged plant and animal habitat. These grants focus on resource preservation and protection of public lands. Projects in this category help bring important natural areas and resources back to their original functions by improving the self sustaining and ecological functionality of sites.
Project Highlights
The Department of Natural Resources successfully implemented this project to restore dry forest and wet meadow habitat, helping support a variety of species that use these habitats including rare plants and animals. The project included 106 acres of ecological thinning to restore dry forest habitats and improve conditions for several rare species including the Wenatchee Mts checkermallow, Wenatchee larkspur, pygmy nuthatch, white-headed woodpecker, and the northern spotted owl. Thinning was conducted to return these forest areas to structural and compositional conditions more similar to those that would have existed under a natural, frequent fire regime and reduce fuel loading and associated risk of high-intensity wildfire. Studies from nearby locations and data from on site provided guidance for target conditions and prescriptions were developed using the Individuals, Clumps, and Openings (ICO) approach. DNR partnered with WDFW, who provided experienced forestry staff, to oversee final implementation and compliance monitoring of the thinning contract. Additional hand-thinning of smaller trees and shrubs was implemented on a separate 5-acre area to reduce shading and competition in and around an isolated habitat patch for Wenatchee Mts. checkermallow. 37 acres of invasive plant control were also conducted under this project, targeting a number of invasive plants of concern including diffuse knapweed, reed canarygrass, Canada thistle, meadow knapweed, bindweed, and non-native grasses. Invasive plant control was focused in meadow areas to reduce competition in and around rare plant habitats. 1.5 acres within the invasive treatment areas were also seeded and planted with native meadow species. This was reduced from the 10 acres planned to help address cultural resource concerns related to herbicide applications. An 11-acre prescribed burn was also conducted as part of this project, targeting a combination of meadow and forest edge habitat with concentrations of both Wenatchee Mts. checkermallow and Wenatchee larkspur. While the burn was somewhat lower intensity than planned, it was still effective at thinning tree seedlings and saplings, as well as reducing shrub cover and litter accumulations on the soil surface.