MASON COUNTY, WA, Aug. 8, 2011 -- With the purchase of two properties of approximately 160 acres near the confluence of the north and south forks of the Skokomish River in Mason County, Washington, the Cascade Land Conservancy, Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) and Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) have taken an important step towards the long-term protection of critical salmon habitat.

The project area is highly important to the proper function of the Skokomish River and the fish and people who depend on it. It is a significant habitat site for Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook salmon, summer chum salmon, steelhead trout and bull trout, as well as coho, fall chum and cutthroat trout.

CLC and its partners purchased 131 acres of forested floodplains along the south side of the Skokomish from the Green Diamond Resource company for $262,000. The second property, another 29 acres along both sides of the Skokomish River, was purchased from private landowner Robert Rasmusan for $110,000. Funding for the acquisitions came from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office Salmon Recovery Fund and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Landowner Incentive Program.

“Conserving these properties will make a positive impact on the region’s important salmon population and give our partners flexibility in their broader restoration goals in the Hood Canal Basin,” said Sam Gibboney, CLC Olympic Peninsula Conservation Director. “HCCC, HCSEG and others in the region have been working for decades to improve the health of the Canal and were integral in the success of this project.”

The largest source of freshwater for the Hood Canal, the Skokomish River is ecologically important.  It is also the most frequently flooded in Washington State, threatening salmon and human well-being. Acquisition of these properties will allow creation of significant off-channel and floodplain habitat beneficial for all salmonid species as well as for flood hazard reduction.
 
The properties contain the Skokomish River Road, the only transportation access through the valley into working farms and forests above the River.  The site, known as the “Dips”, is usually the first to flood, closing the road and isolating the community.  An ambitious partnership between Mason County, the Skokomish Tribe, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently investigating how to decrease flood risk to the road and the people who depend upon it, an effort that will be supported by this conservation project. 

“The HCCC Board of Directors has a vision that humans can both benefit from and coexist sustainably with a healthy Hood Canal,” said Richard Brocksmith, HCCC Director for Habitat Programs.  “This project is a great example of that vision in that one action can have multiple benefits for both humans and the ecosystem.”

These land acquisitions are important pieces of the larger environmental goals in the region. Responding to community concerns about water quality and ecological health, the HCCC has been engaged for over 25 years restoring and protecting the Hood Canal region’s environmental and economic health. Like HCCC and other partners, CLC is working to create a sustainable economic and environmental future for the region. The conservation of these lands on the Skokomish are part of The Olympic Agenda, CLC’s innovative, 100-year vision and action plan for the Olympic Peninsula’s lands, economy and communities.

For More Info:

Contact: Natalie Cheel, Marketing Director, 206-905-6927, nataliec@cascadeland.org

###