Category Overview
Critical Habitat projects are our state’s primary tool for conserving important fish and wildlife habitat. These projects protect the rich and diverse habitats in our forests, prairies, and wetlands. These funds help maintain our state’s biodiversity and protect species that are popular for hunting, birding, and other outdoor recreation, and are critical for the health of our salmon and fish populations.
Project Highlights
Columbia Land Trust used this funding to acquire and permanently protect two properties in the Grays River watershed in Wahkiakum and Pacific Counties in southwest Washington. The Fossil Creek South property conserved 342 acres along the Grays River, adding critical upland forest, instream, and riparian habitat to previously conserved blocks in this area and conserving 2.75 miles of streams. The Land Trust purchased this property also with funds from RCO grant 21-1130. The Rayonier North property permanently conserved 1,103 acres of upland forest, instream, and riparian habitats, including over 15 miles of streambank. This acquisition project supports ESA-listed marbled murrelets, eulachon smelt, and Lower Columbia River Basin chum, coho, and fall Chinook salmon. Columbia Land Trust completed management plans for both Fossil Creek South and Rayonier North to guide long-term management. Throughout the grant period, Columbia Land Trust received approval for several amendments to the project including a cost change, time extension, approval for an inadvertent discovery plan, and a property scope change. Three properties (West Fork Property South, West Fork Property North, and Fossil Creek Property North) originally proposed were not acquired and Rayonier North was added to the project scope. The original proposed grant acres were 1,623 and 10 miles of stream. The final acquisition protected 1,445 acres and 17.75 miles of streams.