Last piece of the puzzle in place to protect the Tieton Canyon

Transfer from The Nature Conservancy brings 20,000 acres into public ownership

Naches, Washington — April 5, 2007 — A four-year effort to protect more than 10,000 acres in the Tieton River Canyon has culminated this week, with the transfer of the final piece of the puzzle from The Nature Conservancy to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for long-term conservation on Wednesday.

The land, part of a checkerboard pattern of public and private ownership that is a legacy of 19th century land grants, was acquired by the Conservancy from Plum Creek Timber Co., and will become part of the state’s Oak Creek Wildlife area. The alternating squares in the checkerboard remain in the ownership of the U.S. Forest Service, bringing the total public ownership in the area to more than 20,000 acres. The Nature Conservancy will retain ownership of a square mile of land at the heart of the canyon.

This ambitious public/private effort conserves nearly eight miles of the Tieton River and all of the adjacent uplands. The Tieton River canyon supports mature Ponderosa pine forests, oak woodlands, intact shrub-steppe, riparian floodplains, and dense streamside stands of willow, dogwood, and cottonwood. At least 15 species on the state endangered species list and four on the federal list are found there, including spotted and flammulated owls, nesting golden eagles, bighorn sheep, and steelhead and bull trout.

“We’ve shared a long road with many partners to bring this project to fruition, and we will continue on that road to fulfill the vision of restored forests that we all share,” said Betsy Bloomfield, the Nature Conservancy program director who has spearheaded the effort. In addition to the partnership with WDFW, the support of the Yakima County Board of Commissioners was crucial to obtaining public funding for the project, she said.

“This is a dream come true,” said Ken Bevis, a habitat biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife who was instrumental in the project. “This is the best thing I’ve worked on in my whole career. It’s been such a successful partnership with The Nature Conservancy, and now we have protected this wonderful place.

As public funds have become available, the state wildlife area has taken ownership of the acreage purchased by the Conservancy. The Conservancy will recover its cost of $7.5 million but make no profit in these transactions. Because of the increase in value of the land, the sale to the state has generated about $400,000 more than the land cost the Conservancy. That money will be donated by the Conservancy to the Yakima Valley Community Foundation, where it will be used for grants to do conservation work in the Tieton River Canyon and the surrounding forestlands. The Department of Fish and Wildlife had suggested this use of the money to ensure that funds are available for stewardship.

“This fund will enhance the environment, to the benefit of all the people of the Yakima Valley,” said John Colgan, president of the foundation. “It’s the first fund we’ve had in our three years of existence that has focused on the environment, so it’s exciting new ground for us.”

As exciting as this effort to protect this important land has been, there’s more work in the future. Work on this project led the people involved to realize that their individual agencies and organizations could accomplish much more working together toward mutual goals. They’ve come together as the Tieton Forest Collaborative, which currently includes The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources. The Collaborative is reaching out to other prospective partners, including the Yakama Nation, to help expand and act upon our vision for productive and healthy forests.

The scale of the collaborative is unprecedented in Eastern Washington, covering an area of nearly 200,000 publicly owned acres. The Collaborative’s model provides a way for its members to retain their individual missions while planning and working across ownership boundaries on a number of mutual goals.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

Learn more about the Conservancy's Tieton River Canyon conservation project.