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 Deparment of Natural Resources will use this grant to acquire a single 11-acre forested shoreline property which includes nearly an acre of wetlands. This natural area is located six miles from Shelton in Mason County and protects two salt-marsh ecosystem types along with associated plant communities. Low-salinity high marsh and moderate-salinity high marsh communities are important high-quality examples of wetland ecosystems in southern Puget Sound. This site also protects tideflats and second growth riparian forest buffer. Federally threatened winter steelhead are found in Skookum Creek and chum and coho salmon and resident cutthroat trout spawn in Elson Creek. The primary conservation opportunity provided by this project is long-term protection for rare salt marsh communities and opportunities for environmental education and research.