Funding secured to protect 30,000 acres
Columbia Land Trust and partners protect working forestland
Columbia Land Trust is proud to announce that, together with partners, we’ve secured funding to conserve nearly 30,000 acres of productive forestland around Mt Adams. A $36,000,000 award from the US Forest Service Forest Legacy program is the largest grant in Land Trust history and is emblematic of our collaborative approach to conservation.
Columbia Land Trust worked closely with Twin Creeks Timber / Green Diamond Resource Company (the owner of the forestland), The Conservation Fund (a strategic partner and funder), and the Washington Department of Natural Resources to develop a conservation strategy and build support for this landscape-scale project in Washington’s White Salmon and Klickitat River watersheds. The new funding will enable the purchase of a 29,778-acre conservation easement on land owned by Twin Creeks/Green Diamond. The easement will be held and managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
With adjacency to other state, federal, and tribal forestlands, the easement will protect the region’s working forests and the community benefits they offer including wildlife habitat and migration pathways, traditional cultural and recreational access, clean water, climate resilience, and natural resource-based jobs.
“This $36 million allocation is the final phase of a 48,000-acre forest conservation strategy we are implementing on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge,” said Land Trust Conservation Lead Nate Ulrich. “This success wouldn’t be possible without incredible partners and deep community support. This funding announcement is the latest example of how Columbia Land Trust’s relationship-based approach to conservation is making real and lasting contributions for the nature of the Northwest.”
“Washington state’s forests provide a wealth of benefits, from supporting regional economies to providing recreational opportunities and habitats for critical species,” said U.S. Senator Patty Murray in a celebratory statement with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, who said, “Investing in Washington’s working forests maintains local timber jobs and bolsters our outdoor recreation economy. This funding will help protect nearly 30,000 acres of forestland and 105 miles of streams near Mt. Adams – preserving important habitat for salmon and recreation access along the White Salmon and Klickitat Rivers.”
This is a shared accomplishment of unprecedented size and impact. While Columbia Land Trust is proud of our work to fundraise on behalf of this partnership, none of these funds will go towards our daily operations or other priority projects throughout our service area. With 100% of the Forest Legacy funding allocated to the purchase of the easement, your year-end support remains essential to Columbia Land Trust’s continued ability to secure these once-in-a-lifetime conservation opportunities.
Together, we can capitalize on this powerful momentum and continue to make an incredible impact on the nature of this region and the communities and wildlife that depend on it.
Make a year-end donation to Columbia Land Trust.
Read an announcement about this success from the offices of US Senators Murray and Cantwell:
www.murray.senate.gov/murray-cantwell-announce-44-million-for-wa-forest-conservation-projects/
Learn about the US Forest Service’s Forest Legacy program’s impact across the country:
www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/private-land/forest-legacy/program/funded-projects
Header image by Ian Shive / Tandem Stock.