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 Fish and Wildlife will use this grant to restore 200 acres of shrub-steppe habitat in the Wells and Chelan Wildlife Areas, in Douglas and Okanogan Counties. The department will remove weeds, then seed the areas and plant native grasses and shrubs to reestablish grass and shrub communities in the Central Ferry Canyon, Indian Dan Canyon, and Pateros Units, which were damaged in severe wildfires. The fires wiped out the upland shrub communities and increased the amount of cheatgrass and noxious weeds. The areas are in targeted recovery zones for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and greater sage grouse. The work also will benefit mule deer and other priority species.