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 Natural Resources will conduct a restoration project on four Natural Area Preserves in Okanogan and Douglas Counties. This project will restore 65 acres of shrub steppe habitat impacted by recent large-scale wildfires. Two Steppe NAP lies within the identified breeding area of the Douglas- Grant County Greater Sage-Grouse population. Riverside Breaks NAP contains a population of the rare Snake River Cryptantha (State and BLM sensitive species). Davis Canyon NAP was established as a National Natural Landmark because of the high quality plant communities present on this site. Methow Rapids NAP, located south of Pateros includes unique plant communities not protected in other areas. In addition to the fire impacts, two of these sites were impacted by fire engines and vehicles during the fire suppression activities. Work will be done to reestablish the native plant communities and limit any nonnative species from establishing. The primary habitat to be restored is shrub-steppe.