Kicking off American Wetlands Month by securing $4.5 million in federal conservation grants

Skookum Valley wetland acquisition site in Mason County. We secured a $564,000 federal grant to help our Squaxin Island Tribe partner acquire, restore and permanently protect wetlands and shorelines along Skookum Creek that drains to Puget Sound. Photo courtesy Doug Ridenour.

To help celebrate Washington’s wetlands during May—American Wetlands Month—we’re delighted to share we have secured five National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants worth $4.5 million.

This year, the federal grant program will help local partners including tribal governments and nonprofit land trusts acquire, restore, and enhance about 400 acres of coastal wetlands in Clallam, Mason, Pierce, and Thurston counties. All five projects will help recover salmon that Washington’s endangered Southern Resident orca whales depend on for survival.

The program is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and funded in part through taxes paid on equipment and fuel purchases by recreational anglers and boaters. Established in 1990, the federal conservation program provides up to $1 million for individual wetland projects in coastal and Great Lake states as well as U.S. territories.

Wetlands essential for Washington economic, environmental health

Washington’s wetlands are essential for sustaining the state’s economic and environmental health. Wetlands act as a natural sponge, helping control flooding and erosion by catching and slowing down melting snow and surface water runoff from storms. They purify water by filtering sediments and trapping excess nutrients and pollutants such as heavy metals. Wetlands also hold much of the surface water that trickles through the soil and recharges our underground drinking water aquifers.

If communities had to replace the flood control and water treatment functions Washington’s wetlands naturally provide, the costs could far outweigh the expense of preserving them. A 2008 independent study by Earth Economics found fresh water wetlands in the Puget Sound regional alone could be worth more than $10 billion to the state economy.

Productive ecosystems rivaling rain forests and coral reefs

Our wetlands also offer important refuge for wildlife and fish, including salmon, and places for people to boat, fish, and enjoy other recreation activities. Wetlands bordering or close to the marine waters of Puget Sound and Pacific Ocean can be among the most productive ecosystems in the world, rivaling rain forests and coral reefs. Wetlands also help mitigate climate change by absorbing greenhouse gases.

Although only states can apply for National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants, we work closely with land trusts, local and tribal governments, and other entities to identify conservation projects in Washington and develop wetland restoration and protection proposals for consideration by USFWS.

Since 2008, we have helped secure federal funding and provided technical assistance for acquisition and restoration projects totaling more than $100 million to conserve more than 11,000 acres of Washington’s coastal wetlands.

This year, Ecology received 22 percent of the total $20.3 million in coastal wetlands grants USFWS awarded nationally. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also received a $1 million USFWS grant to restore a coastal wetland in lower Hood Canal.

Washington’s 2019 coastal wetland conservation projects

Working with local partners, the 2019 federal grants Ecology secured will be used to help fund the following coastal wetland enhancement and restoration projects:



Baird Cove site in Thurston County. Photo courtesy Eric Erler.

Baird Cove Acquisition ($995,000)—Working in partnership with the Nisqually Land Trust to acquire an 88-acre estuarine complex in Thurston County on the east side of Johnson Point in southern Puget Sound, including more than 4,200 feet of intact estuarine shoreline, pristine coastal wetlands and mature forest.






Elwha Estuary Place site, Clallam County. Photo by John Gussman.

 Elwha Estuary Place Acquisition ($1 million)—This collaborative project with the Coastal Watershed Institute will conserve historic Elwha River estuary wetlands and restore marine shoreline along the river delta in Clallam County.








Skookum Valley Wetland Acquisition ($564,000)—Working in partnership with the Squaxin Island Tribe, the funding will be used to help acquire and permanently protect 158 acres of wetlands and shorelines along Skookum Creek that flows directly to Puget Sound in Mason County.

Sound View Camp property in Pierce County.

Sound View Camp Conservation Easement ($950,000)—We are working with our Nisqually Land Trust partner to acquire a permanent conservation easement to protect Sound View Camp, a 93-acre waterfront property on Drayton Passage in southern Puget Sound in Pierce County.



West Oakland Bay restoration site, Mason County.

Photo courtesy Anchor Environmental.

West Oakland Bay Restoration Phase 2 ($1 million)—Working with our Squaxin Island Tribe partner to put the second phase of restoring critical coastal wetlands in place in West Oakland Bay in Mason County. The project will restore 28 acres of saltmarsh, lost when an industrial harbor was created more than a century ago.




Wetlands tools and resources 

Want to know more? We provide technical assistance and development tools for local governments, consultants, and developers regarding the responsible management, regulation, and stewardship of state wetlands.

Ecology secures $5 million in federal grants to help partners conserve five coastal wetlands

Barnum Point on east side of Camano Island in Island County. Photo courtesy Benjamin Drummond.

May is American Wetlands Month. To highlight the vital ecological, economic, and social health benefits wetlands provide Washington state, we are pleased to announce Ecology has been awarded $5 million in federal National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants to help protect, restore and preserve five crucial coastal wetlands in Clallam, Island, Kitsap, and Skagit counties.

The federal program, managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USF&WS), provides up to $1 million in funding for individual wetland conservation projects located in our coastal and Great Lake states as well as U.S. territories. The program is funded in part through taxes paid on equipment and fuel purchases by recreational anglers and boaters.

While only states can apply for the coastal wetlands grants, we work in close partnership with land trusts, local and tribal governments, and other entities to identify conservation projects in Washington and develop wetland restoration and protection proposals for consideration by USF&WS.

With five $1 million individual federal wetland conservation awards, Ecology received more program grants in 2018 than any other state agency in the nation. In past decade alone, we have helped secure federal funding and provided technical assistance for projects totaling nearly $86 million to conserve more than 10,000 acres of coastal wetlands in Washington.

‘Kidneys’ of our watersheds

Sometimes referred to as the “kidneys” of a watershed, wetlands are renowned for improving our water quality by removing excess nutrients, toxic substances, and sediments from the water that flows through them.

Wetlands help safeguard the overall health of our community water supplies by helping filter and slowly recharge our underground sources of water. Wetlands help reduce flood damages by soaking up rain and storing flood waters. These ecosystems provide critical habitat for plants, wildlife, and fish, including salmon. Wetlands are an effective and economical way to enhance community safety while improving quality of life.

Restoring coastal wetlands in Clallam County



Elwha River delta. Photo courtesy Jamie Michel.

We were awarded a $1 million grant for the Elwha River Delta Acquisition and Restoration project. We are working in close partnership with the Coastal Watershed Institute to conserve and restore critical coastal wetlands at the mouth of the Elwha River in Clallam County. The project will:

• Protect and restore 3.25 acres of coastal wetlands at the site of a former delta channel in the Elwha River.
• Complete the restoration of 2 acres of marine shoreline that was part of a previous conservation project to remove derelict shoreline armoring.

This conservation effort will help maximize the environmental benefits associated with removing the Elwha River dams and is part of a broader effort by local partners to protect the river corridor, from its headwaters to the estuary. 



Lower Dungeness floodplain.

Another $1 million grant will be used for the Lower Dungeness Floodplain Restoration project. We are working with Clallam County to reconnect the lower Dungeness River to its historic channels and floodplain, ensuring the perpetual conservation and restoration of wetlands, floodplain, and shoreline along one of the most important river systems on the Olympic Peninsula.  This first phase effort will benefit more than 100 fish and wildlife species currently using the site, including four salmon species.




Protecting estuarine and freshwater wetlands on Hood Canal



Big Beef Creek; photo courtesy

Brandon Palmer

After securing a $1 million grant for the Big Beef Creek Estuary Acquisition, we are working in partnership with the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group to acquire and protect 126 acres of estuary, freshwater wetland and riparian habitat in Kitsap County. This property on the lower Big Beef Creek feeds into Hood Canal on the west side of the Kitsap Peninsula. The project will result in the conservation of a complex, functional, and truly connected coastal wetland ecosystem critical to many salmon species. 


Preserving, enhancing coastal wetlands in Island and Skagit counties


We are using a $1 million grant for the Barnum Point Phase 2 Acquisition project and working in close partnership with Island County to acquire 30 acres of Puget Sound waterfront property on the east side of Camano Island. The project is located in Port Susan Bay, within the greater Skagit and Stillaguamish river delta. This area is considered one of the most important places on Washington's northwest coast for estuarine and nearshore conservation due to its biodiversity and key role in supporting dozens of important estuarine-dependent species.


Guemes Island coastal acquisition project.

We will provide $1 million in federal coastal wetland grant funding toward the Guemes Island Coastal Acquisition project and are working in partnership with the Skagit Land Trust to acquire and permanently protect 143 acres on Guemes Island in Skagit County. This project will conserve:

• More than 4,000 feet of marine coastline – including nearly 30 acres of feeder bluffs and associated coastal forest uplands.
• About 116 acres of marine shoreline and the largest coastal wetland ecosystem on the island including freshwater wetlands, meadows, and creeks.

Wetlands tools and resources

Want to know more? We provide technical assistance and develop tools for local governments, consultants, and developers regarding the responsible management, regulation, and stewardship of our wetlands.

$4.7M in federal grants conserve our biggest set of wetlands yet!

Over 2,500 acres of wetlands conserved?!
This makes our hearts swell!

Happy World Wetlands Day!

This year we're excited to announce we were awarded $4,713,613 in National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants through the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Only states can apply for the grants, so we partner with land trusts, local governments, tribes and other groups to restore and protect wetlands across Washington state. These federal grant dollars will conserve 2,582 acres of our wetlands--our biggest annual batch yet!

In the past decade, we've helped projects totaling almost $86 million conserve over ten thousand acres of our state's wetlands. Wetlands work hard to control flooding, clean the environment, provide habitat, recharge groundwater and do much more to benefit our ecosystem. We love them for it! With hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands in our state, we've got a lot of love to spread around.

Protecting Barnum Point will preserve 67 acres of
vital habitat in its estuaries and shoreline.

Barnum Point Acquisition 

Partner: Island County
Location: Camano Island, Island County
Grant: $1,000,000

This project will acquire 67 acres of Puget Sound waterfront property on the east side of Camano Island. It protects one of the most important places in the Pacific Northwest for estuarine and nearshore habitat.

Situated in Port Susan Bay, within the greater Skagit and Stillaguamish Delta area, the biodiversity of this land plays a key role in the life of dozens of internationally important species that depend on its estuaries for survival.
 

Growing Dosewallips State Park will make a healthier
watershed and create better habitat for fish and wildlife.

Dosewallips Floodplain and Estuary Restoration 

Partner: Wild Fish Conservancy
Location: Dosewallips, Jefferson County
Grant: $402,117

Restoring five acres of tidally-influenced floodplain and enhancing 25 acres of salt marsh and mudflats at Dosewallips State Park will improve the natural functions of the ecosystem by reconnecting the main channel of the estuary to the salt marsh south of the river.

This will help create and maintain wetland habitats in the delta of the Dosewallips River by recreating the native network of water channels on the right bank of the river. By giving water the opportunity to flow and meander naturally, this project will improve habitat for wildlife and reduce the risk of flood damage to communities in the floodplain.

Protecting this threatened habitat in Grays Harbor will
 make a better home for ducks and other wildlife alike.

Grayland Acquisition Project

Partner: Ducks Unlimited
Location: Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County
Grant: $1,000,000

Acquiring these 1,750 acres of diverse and threatened habitat will protect more than 1,100 acres of estuaries and marsh wetlands, tidal mudflats, old-growth forests and wet dunes and meadows. This ecosystem provides a vital haven for ducks, other water birds, fish, amphibians and marine wildlife.

Preserving this property amplifies the benefit of the existing conservation lands that surround it. In this way, it helps the positive impact on the environment of neighboring state and federal public lands like Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Johns River Wildlife Area, Bottle Beach and Graylands Beach state parks.

This land purchase will protect 106 acres and restore
wetlands of national importance to their natural state.

Lower Henderson Inlet Acquisition 

Partner: Capitol Land Trust
Location: Olympia, Thurston County
Grant: $800,000

Acquiring these two parcels totaling 106 acres will restore 23 acres of nationally declining marsh wetlands damaged by past agricultural use. This project will restore the natural function of the tideland by allowing water to move more freely throughout the wetland.

Restoring this land will prevent contamination to the water and soil, and stop the spread of invasive plants.
 

Restoring these 88 acres of estuary will revive the
floodplain by bringing coastline and river together again. 

Zis a ba Estuary Restoration 

Partner: Stillaguamish Tribe
Location: Stanwood, Snohomish County
Grant: $511,496

Restoring these 88 acres of coastal wetlands will reconnect the floodplain. The project area is currently isolated from the rise and fall of the tides by a dike that was built a long time ago to prevent flood damage. We've learned through experience, however, that a healthy floodplain is best for protecting lives, homes and property from flooding.

The project is designed to restore tidal and river influence by removing the majority of the current levee and building a setback levee to protect surrounding property owners. The restoration work and setback levee will improve habitat and water quality by allowing the estuary to function more naturally. By doing this, it will bring Puget Sound and the Stillaguamish river together again in this area.
   

Conserving these 541+ acres protects a network of
lakes, wetlands and riparian areas. It also lays the
groundwork for future stream restoration.

Zylstra Lake Acquisition 

Partner: San Juan County Land Bank
Location: San Juan Island,
San Juan County
Grant: $1,000,000

Acquiring this land on San Juan Island will conserve over 541 acres. The project, which includes two lakes, approximately one mile of riparian stream and estuary shoreline, and almost three miles of Puget Sound shoreline, is located in the 11,464-acre False Bay watershed. The project will protect a network of lakes, wetlands and riparian areas. It will improve the ecosystem by reconnecting this network with the Salish Sea. In addition, this land purchase will protect water rights needed for future stream restoration projects.

Our work loving our wetlands

At Ecology, we understand how important wetlands are for clean water, healthy wildlife and a more pure Washington. Our children and grandchildren deserve the same beautiful nature we enjoy today. By protecting the wetlands we have and conserving those which can be restored, we are making Washington great for generations to come.

Our talented staff help local governments, businesses, communities and landowners protect, preserve, restore and enhance wetlands.

For more details on the projects listed above, visit our coastal wetlands grant program web page. Learn more about our role in managing wetlands by visiting our website.

By: Jessie Payne, communications manager

500+ acres of our wetlands conserved this World Wetlands Day!!

Happy World Wetlands Day!

Wetlands work hard to control flooding, clean the environment, provide habitat, recharge ground water and do much more to benefit our ecosystem. We love them for it! With hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands in our state, we've got a lot of love to spread around.

Gaining, restoring and protecting wetlands

World Wetlands Day comes with an extra cause to celebrate this year; all five of the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants we submitted last year have been fully funded. This means that we're awarding over $4 million in federal grants to acquire, restore and protect wetlands. This grant money will join with local partners to total over $8 million for wetlands! How's that for good news on World Wetlands Day?

With these five grants, Washington has been granted over 20% of the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation funds that will go to conserving wetlands nationwide this year. Let's see where the money will go...

The Beach Lake Acquisition and Restoration will
conserve 46.3 acres, restore beaches and maximize
benefits from the removal of the Elwha River dams.

Beach Lake Acquisition and Restoration

Partner: Coastal Watershed Institute
Location: Elwha River Watershed
Clallam County
Grant: $1,000,000

This project will acquire and restore 46.3 acres of critical coastal wetlands in the Elwha River watershed. This conservation will benefit wildlife habitat, restore 870 feet of natural beaches and will boost the natural recovery process put in motion by the removal of the Elwha River dams.

The Coastal Watershed Institute will add $604,940 to the grant funds, totaling $1,604,940 to protect wetlands. Together, our work will create habitat for salmon, forage fish and migratory birds. And we're maximizing our investment by joining a broader effort by local conservation partners to protect the Elwha River watershed and estuary.

Acquiring Heron Point will protect some of the highest quality
forested wetland habitat within the Snohomish River Basin,
preserve 20 acres of old-growth Sitka spruce
and safeguard a haven for fish and birds. 

Heron Point Protection

Partner: Tulalip Tribes
Location: Ebey Slough
Snohomish County
Grant: $63,800

20 acres of old-growth Sitka spruce estuarine wetland will be protected along Ebey Slough with this project. The land we will acquire on Heron Point contains some of the highest quality and most intact forested wetland habitat within the Snohomish River Basin.

The Tulalip Tribes will provide $30,380 to match this grant, ensuring this treasured wetland will be protected for a price tag of $94,180. Following the acquisition, the Tribe will own and manage the property as part of the nearby Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project, which was funded by previous grants. Protecting this wetland improves forest biodiversity within the river basin and ensures important natural processes will continue to occur as the tide ebbs and flows throughout the area. Preserving this wetland provides a haven for fish and native birds, including a heron rookery.

Acquiring the Pearson Nearshore permanently
protects endangered fish and bird habitat; preserving
2,800 feet of estuarine wetland, feeder bluff and forest.

Pearson Nearshore

Partner: Whidbey Camano Land Trust
Location: Whidbey Island
Island County
Grant: $1,000,000

This project is a win for habitat. By acquiring 49 acres of Puget Sound waterfront property, we will permanently save habitat used by endangered salmon and other marine organisms. The upland forests that will be protected provide habitat for federally and state listed species such as pileated woodpecker, peregrine falcon and Vaux’s swift.

This project will protect 2,800 feet of intact estuarine wetland, feeder bluff and coastal upland forest. The feeder bluffs preserved will replenish beach sands as they erode, and help ensure the longevity of the ecosystem. In addition, a fifth of the property is made up of estuarine intertidal wetlands, a nationally declining type of nearshore habitat. The Whidbey Camano Land Trust will contribute $455,000 to match the grant, and the land will be forever conserved for a total of $1,455,000. The preservation that will benefit a wide range of species that depend on the saltwater, beaches and forest for survival.

Restoring the 315-acre Smith Island Estuary improves
habitat for local wildlife and recovers a safe haven for
birds as they migrate south from Alaska.

Smith Island Restoration, Snohomish River Estuary

Partner: Snohomish County
Location: Smith Island, Snohomish River Estuary, Snohomish County
Grant: $1,000,000

Restoring 315 acres of tidal marsh in the Snohomish River Estuary will represent a significant critical habitat improvement for Puget Sound. This restoration will provide refuge and valuable foraging areas for fish, birds and other wildlife. It will also improve habitat and migration pathways for Chinook and other salmon species.

This project will restore the estuary by repairing the natural ecosystem after years of damage from development. Not only is this a huge benefit to local wildlife, but the Snohomish River Estuary is also an important stopover on the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds. This means birds migrating from Alaska to Mexico and South America will reap the benefits as they take a break in the estuary while they recuperate along their long journey.

This project to protect and restore 73 acres of wetlands
and other aquatic habitat on Oakland Bay is part of a 
larger multi-year effort that will benefit the environment,
wildlife, tribal uses, oyster growers and recreation.

West Oakland Bay Restoration and Conservation

Partner: Squaxin Island Tribe
Location: Oakland Bay
Mason County
Grant: $1,000,000

Conserving these 73 acres on the western side of Oakland Bay is part of a much bigger plan to protect and restore marine nearshore, estuarine and freshwater habitats in Oakland Bay watershed that will benefit wildlife, tribal uses, oyster growers and recreation.

The project will protect 10 acres of saltwater and freshwater riparian habitat, four acres of tidelands and 59 acres of biologically significant wetlands and coastline. Over 21 acres of saltmarsh at the mouth of Goldsborough Creek will be restored, adding to a larger goal to preserve existing high-quality habitat and re-establish and permanently protect a saltmarsh estuary. The Squaxin Island Tribe will make this great benefit to Oakland Bay possible by matching the grant with $1,900,000, for a total price of $2,900,000.

Our work with wetlands

For more details on the projects listed above, visit our wetlands coastal grant program webpage. Learn more about our role in protecting, restoring and managing wetlands by visiting our website.

By Jessica Payne, communications manager, Shorelands program