FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

400 acres conserved in Kittitas County project

Public-private partnership produces results for all

Four hundred acres of critical habitat near Easton, with a one mile stretch of stream frontage on Cabin Creek, was permanently conserved today using a combined strategy of private and public partnerships. The Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC), a private non-profit organization working in Kittitas County, partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to apply for funding from the Federal Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.

“This federal land acquisition program, known as Section 6, was designed to help state agencies conserve critical habitat for endangered species that they might not otherwise be able to protect,” said Jill Arango, Kittitas County Conservation Director for CLC.

In a complex land transaction involving a sale of the 400-acre parcel by owner American Forest Resources, CLC purchased the property using private funds then applied to the federal grant for reimbursement. Then CLC worked closely with both the WDFW and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to come up with matching funds for the acquisition.

The newly conserved land will soon be transferred to WDFW ownership and will be open to the public for recreational access.

“We are pleased to be part of this transaction,” said Jeff Jones of American Forest Resources.  “As a company we are committed to doing our part to help preserve these important lands for the community where we live and work.” Jones also serves as a Kittitas County Trustee for CLC and helps to promote the goals of the organization in the community.

The successful protection of the property is seen as a huge success for the future of private-public partnerships. “While the process was complicated, all the parties ultimately came through and met the requirements for the grant,” said Jim Armstrong chair of the local Trustee group for CLC. “This success bodes well for our continued partnership and conservation work in the county.”

From high points on the property, I-90 is a ribbon of highway through the eastern slopes of the Cascades, and the panoramic views over Lake Easton, Lake Kacheess and Cabin Creek valley. The Cabin Creek watershed provides important habitat for several listed endangered species including bull trout and spotted owl.

The property is also within the popular Cabin Creek recreation area and is used by snowmobilers, hikers and cross county skiers. The Easton Reload Snopark is just north of the newly conserved property.

“We are very pleased to have the Easton Reload to help handle the overflow of snowmobilers coming to the I-90 corridor,” said Howard Briggs, chair of the Kittitas County Grooming Council, “and we can preserve our existing snowmobile trails by having this property in public ownership.” The Grooming Council is responsible for maintenance of snoparks and snowmobile trails throughout the county.

The property has high development pressure due to its proximity to the Puget Sound area, Suncadia Resort and popular recreation areas in Upper Kittitas County. In addition, it contains significant merchantable timber and both CLC and WDFW were concerned that logging the 400-acre parcel would impact the I-90 corridor view shed and have negative impacts on fish and wildlife habitat in the Cabin Creek watershed.

“We are delighted that these key lands are now protected.  Cabin Creek is a strategic place for habitats, recreation and ecological connectivity. A lot of hard work went into making this project a reality.  American Forest Resources and Cascade Land Conservancy both deserve a lot of credit here,” said Ken Bevis, WDFW Habitat Biologist who has worked on this project since 2001.

For the past three years, CLC has been working in Kittitas County to preserve and improve recreational access to public lands, protect the ownership of working farms and ranches, and maintain and improve the quality of life for residents.

The Cabin Creek purchase also represents the first use by the CLC of its $3.5 million Conservation Investment Fund. The Conservation Investment Fund was formed last year by the Cascade Land Conservancy to allow the CLC to respond rapidly to conservation acquisitions.  While the CLC has a strong balance sheet and assets, it does not have the financial resources to respond to several acquisition opportunities at the same time.  The fund is designed to allow the organization to move quickly when necessary. The fund allows community-minded investors the opportunity to purchase interests in the fund and see their funds work to conserve precious land in four-county area served by the conservancy.  Investors receive an estimated return of 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent annually.

Cascade Land Conservancy has successfully conserved nearly 120,000 acres in the last decade including several hundred acres in Kittitas County.  From this solid foundation the CLC has launched a concerted effort – called The Cascade Agenda – to conserve 1.3 million acres of our region’s most critical landscapes.  Currently, the organization is negotiating to conserve hundreds of thousands of acres of properties vital to our region’s ecosystems, communities and economy.

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