The Nature Conservancy in Washington

Tieton River Canyon location map

Feature

Washington Leads the Way for Forest Restoration
Dense underbrush in eastern Washington’s dry forests is like tinder — any spark could set off a catastrophic wildfire. New legislation offers hope for restoration efforts by The Nature Conservancy and its partners in the Tieton. Find out more in this Q&A with the Conservancy 's Tieton expert, Betsy Bloomfield.
Get the Scoop from Betsy Bloomfield

Go Deeper

Science
Conservation Action Planning

Fact Sheet
Click here for a Tieton River Canyon Fact Sheet (pdf, 248 kb).

Preserve Visitation Guidelines
The Nature Conservancy's preserves are private properties, managed to protect native species and ecosystems. Please review these guidelines before your visit.

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The success of The Nature Conservancy in Washington relies on the support of people like you.

Twenty miles west of the city of Yakima, the Tieton River Canyon extends from the forested flanks of the East Cascades to the arid, sage-dotted hills of the Columbia Basin. It's a unique place, where basalt cliffs meet oak trees, elk mingle with bighorn sheep, and rattlesnakes slither between flowers while golden eagles soar above the pines. The Conservancy led the conservation of thousands of acres here, and now works collaboratively to influence management and restoration on millions.

As with many other parts of the central Cascades, the land around the Tieton River Canyon was owned in a checkerboard pattern, a legacy from the 19th century when Congress gave alternating square miles to railroad companies. The resulting fragmented landscape has been a bane to both timber companies and conservationists. But it also gave the Conservancy and its partners the opportunity to weave the Tieton back together, connecting more than 20,000 acres into a contiguous landscape of protected habitat.

Conservation Actions

The Conservancy purchased about 10,000 acres from Plum Creek Timber Co. and transferred the land in phases to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Oak Creek Wildlife Area, retaining one square mile at the heart of the project to maintain a voice in the canyon’s future.
The acquisition project has also spurred formation of a larger coalition for healthy forests, the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative. The Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Yakama Nation have agreed to collaborate on forest health, river recovery and recreation on nearly 2 million acres of forest.

The Tieton project is a “platform site” from which to launch new protection, restoration and policy strategies. The Conservancy envisions working throughout the east slope of the Cascades to connect public lands, safely return fire to the landscape, and advocate for public policies to prevent catastrophic wildfires.

Visiting the Tieton River Canyon

The Tieton area is stunning in all seasons. Visitors delight in its diversity, marvel at its geology and are inspired by its vistas.

Click here for a detailed Tieton River Canyon visitors guide(pdf, 459 kb).
The state’s Oak Creek Wildlife Area is a neighbor and partner, and is a great resource for wildlife enthusiasts.