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The Nature Conservancy purchased 92 acres on the Skagit River to add to the heart of the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area. The addition will protect core bald eagle and salmon habitat.
"It’s the hole in the donut,” said Bob Carey, the Conservancy's Skagit River program director. The 92 acres is bordered by Conservancy land, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) land, and conservation land owned by Seattle City Light. All are part of the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area, 8,000 acres on the Skagit River and its tributaries that have been protected by the collaborative efforts of several private, local, state and federal agencies.
The land is the heart of the most productive and highly protected reach of the Skagit River system, and is home to some of the highest concentrations of salmon, trout and eagles in the region. Elk, cougar, bear and waterfowl also depend on the area.
An Important Property
The new property, acquired with funding from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board, is just downstream from the mouth of Illabot Creek. The Skagit, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, is the most important river for salmon in Puget Sound.
Within the Skagit watershed, Illabot Creek supports one of the two largest bull trout populations and the highest density chum and pink salmon spawning in the basin. Fifty percent of the threatened Chinook salmon in Puget Sound come from the upper Skagit, the stretch between Concrete and Diablo Dam. Of those Chinook, 20 percent come from Illabot Creek, making it truly significant in salmon protection for Puget Sound.
Although the majority of the property is forested, portions have been used for pasture and timber harvest. The first order of business for the Conservancy will be to assess restoration needs on the tract.
Working with Partners
Skagit Land Trust, Skagit Watershed Council and Salmon Recovery Funding Board aided and supported the Conservancy’s acquisition. The Conservancy and Land Trust were partners in securing a $2 million dollar SRFB grant to protect high quality salmon habitat.
Without the support of the Skagit Land Trust, Skagit Watershed Council and Salmon Recovery Funding Board, this project would not have happened. The Skagit Land Trust played a particularly important role in working with the landowners and helping cultivate this project.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Photographer/Org (prickly pear cactus); Photo © Jack Mills (bald eagle).
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