Category Overview
Conserving land along our waterways protects important habitat and helps keep our rivers healthy, clean, and more resilient to drought. Riparian Protection projects conserve and restore fresh and saltwater habitat while protecting fish habitat. In doing so, the grants help provide our families, farms, and fisheries with clean water across the state.
Project Highlights
Ducks Unlimited-Vancouver will use this grant to buy about 1,750 acres, 2 miles south of Westport, in Grays Harbor County. The land is in the lower Chehalis River watershed within the Grays Harbor estuary, and is positioned south of State Highway 105 along South Bay. Ducks Unlimited wants to protect this unique area on the Washington coast, restore the diverse habitats, and create public use opportunities. The land contains more than 1,100 acres of fresh and estuarine wetlands, as well as tidal mudflats, old-growth forested uplands, interdunal wet/swale complexes, commercial timberlands, and grasslands. It is surrounded by protected lands with the Elk River Natural Resources Conservation Area to the east and Twin Harbors State Park to the west. It also is near other state and federal lands including Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Johns River Wildlife Area, and Grayland Beach State Park. The land supports a diverse array of wildlife including waterfowl, shorebirds, elk, deer, marbled murrelets, bald eagles, black bears, and river otters. Ducks Unlimited will contribute $3 million.