Category Overview
As Washington continues to grow, many of our most beautiful areas are threatened with development. In addition, native ecosystems are receding, and important wildlife habitat and migratory pathways are being cut off. The Natural Areas category helps combat this by funding projects that protect wildlife habitat and rare geological features while also preserving public access for back-country recreation.
Project Highlights
The Washington Department of Natural Resources will use this grant to buy 4 acres of creek and uplands for inclusion in the Kennedy Creek Natural Area. The purchase will protect the creek and its banks and enhance protection of the smaller Kennedy Creek Natural Area Preserve, which contains one of Washington’s few remaining high-quality salt marsh communities. The purchase also will expand the highest quality salmon education trail in southern Puget Sound. The 1,461-acre Kennedy Creek Natural Area, located between Olympia and Shelton, includes both the Kennedy Creek Natural Area Preserve and the Kennedy Creek Natural Resources Conservation Area. The Natural Area provides key habitat for migrating shorebirds and salmon and protects water quality vital to the health of the regional shellfish economy.