Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 12, 1999
Contact:  Lynn Palensky, Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, 360-902-3001

Locke applauds grants to protect salmon, habitat on private property

OLYMPIA – Gov. Gary Locke today applauded a pilot program that awarded nearly $4 million in project grants on privately owned lands to protect salmon and their habitat. Eleven projects in eight counties will benefit from the grants that, with matching funds, total $5.6 million.

The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC) awarded the grants through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). They were made available through a pilot effort called the Riparian Habitat Program. A final report on the program was released this week to the Legislature.

Riparian areas include rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, estuaries and near-shore marine habitat. Riparian areas represent a relatively small percentage of the land, yet can yield the greatest gains for fish and wildlife across the landscape.

"The grants for these projects are a unique tool to protect salmon habitat," Locke said. "Rather than actually purchasing private property, we are acquiring conservation easements. These are voluntary agreements between the property owner and another party to limit activities on land to protect conservation values. So the property owners still enjoy the use of their own land while protecting important areas for salmon."

These purchased-rights agreements limit development, timber harvesting or other land-use activities to protect the land. Ownership of the land itself remains with the private landowner.

"This program is an experiment to see how conservation easements can work in Washington," said Laura Eckert Johnson, director of the IAC. "We're pleased with the results so far, especially the quality of the partnerships and citizen involvement in many watersheds around the state."

These grants offer another unique aspect: this was the first time the WWRP allowed non-profit organizations to apply. This strategy brought local community support to projects, as well as expertise in the use of conservation easements.

Of the eleven projects, nine have salmon species that are listed or will be listed under the Endangered Species Act. These properties vary from residential to timbered to agricultural.

Kitsap Conservation District
Martha John Creek
Kitsap
$520,000

Jefferson Land Trust
Chimacum Watershed
Jefferson
$622,000

North Olympic Land Trust
Dungeness River
Clallam
$885,208

Nisqually River Land Trust
Nisqually River
Thurston
$265,000

Snohomish County Public Works
Stillaguamish Slough
Snohomish
$377,480

King County
Issaquah Creek
King
$116,300

Washington Trout
North Fork Stillaguamish
Snohomish
$257,000

Methow Conservancy
Methow Conservancy
Okanogan
$833,700

Trout Unlimited
Haskell Slough
Snohomish
$500,000

Skagit Conservation District
Samish River
Skagit
$666,500

Snohomish County Parks and Rec.
North Creek Greenway
Snohomish
$524,512

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Washington Ecosystems Conservation Program also formed a partnership with the IAC, committing more than $35,000 toward restoration activities for these projects.

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