Category Overview
Farmland Preservation protects valuable farmland and habitat for recreationally important animals, like salmon, birds, deer, and elk. These projects allow families to continue farming the land they have worked on for generations, and provide Washingtonians with healthy local food and a diverse economy. WWRP is the only source of farmland preservation funding in the state budget.
Project Highlights
The Washington State Conservation Commission will use this grant to acquire an agricultural conservation easement on approximately 4,350 acres in perpetuity and will extinguish 313 development rights. The Lazy Cross Ranch currently serves as an upland grazing operation. This property includes a portion of the Rock Creek watershed which is home to mid-Columbia ESA listed chinook and steelhead and also includes the upper reaches of Squaw Creek, which also contains important habitat for steelhead. The property is located in Klickitat County about 25 miles east of Goldendale along the Bickleton Highway.