The Washington Chapter of The Nature Conservancy Makes Marine History

February 17, 2006

The Washington chapter of The Nature Conservancy has signed a 10-year lease with the Washington state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to restore 10 acres of submerged lands on the bottom of Woodard Bay, bringing back to this quiet body of water the once-abundant native Olympia oyster.

The lease is the first of its kind in the United States — nowhere else have public aquatic lands been leased for the purposes of conservation and restoration, and no other state agency has established a policy allowing such leasing.

The Conservancy's and DNR's efforts at Woodard Bay will be a pilot project, showcasing the use of conservation leasing as an effective tool.

The lease will enable The Nature Conservancy to extend to the marine environment what it has done so successfully on land: conserve and restore the Washington region's magnificent natural diversity.

The Nature Conservancy worked closely with the DNR to develop the new leasing policy. Now that the lease has been signed, the Washington chapter has assumed responsibility for the day-to-day management of the submerged lands, both to showcase the effectiveness of the new marine conservation leasing and to restore native oysters to these waters.

The sweet, salty-flavored Olympia oyster, prized by American Indians and early settlers and valued by pioneering commercial growers, is equally savored by certain species of diving ducks and provides important reef habitat for crabs, fish and other marine life. Marine biologists note that these oysters, though rarely exceeding the size of a 50-cent coin, are "filter feeders" and thus play a critical role in the overall aquatic health of Puget Sound.

By strategically placing oyster shells throughout the site, the Washington chapter hopes to restore the Woodard Bay substrate and give the oysters a foothold for re-colonization. The placement will be based on a study of the area completed this past summer and will help to determine if habitat restoration is enough to increase the oyster population or whether it will be necessary to ferry in live oyster seed.

Woodard Bay should prove an ideal location for The Nature Conservancy's first venture into marine conservation leasing. The submerged lands are adjacent to lands already protected by the state, thereby ensuring that no contaminated runoff will harm the budding oysters. The Conservancy has leased submerged lands elsewhere in the country for the promotion of certain species growth, but not for conservation in general.

Partners in this historic undertaking include the Russell Family Foundation, the Coastal Protection Fund administered by the Washington Department of Ecology, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Community-Based Restoration Program in partnership with The Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative.

For More Information:

• Where We Work: The Nature Conservancy in Washington
  Since 1974, the Conservancy has helped to protect more than 500,000 acres of irreplaceable natural lands across the state of Washington.
• Places We Protect: Woodard Bay Aquatic Conservation Lease
  Since 1974, the Conservancy has helped to protect more than 500,000 acres of irreplaceable natural lands across the state of Washington.
• How We Work: Global Marine Initiative
  The Global Marine Initiative links innovative land and sea conservation strategies to improve survival of our coasts and oceans now and for future generations.
• Learn More: Submerged Land: Leasing & Ownership as a New Conservation Tool
  It has been commonly assumed that strategies for marine conservation must be substantially different than those for terrestrial conservation, in part because of a perception that it is not possible to "buy" the seas. However, in many places around the United States and elsewhere submerged lands are available for lease and ownership.
• Feature: Getting to the Bottom of Marine Conservation
  Nature Conservancy Magazine, Spring 2005
  Applying a tried-and-true technique of land conservation to the marine world, The Nature Conservancy is leading a sea change in marine conservation.
• Archive of our Saves of the Week and Success Stories
  Read more about The Nature Conservancy's work to save the last great places on Earth.