The washington state department of natural resources (DNR) is requesting $1,000,000 through the national coastal wetlands conservation grant program (ncwcgp) to permanently protect 87 acres through…

The washington state department of natural resources (DNR) is requesting $1,000,000 through the national coastal wetlands conservation grant program (ncwcgp) to permanently protect 87 acres through fee simple acquisition, restore 35 acres to native habitat, and enhance environmental education within the woodard BAY natural resources conservation area (nrca) boundary, located in thurston county, washington. This project is a rare opportunity to protect undeveloped wetlands, shorelines, tidelands, riparian, and mature forest habitats. The state legislature designated woodard BAY in 1987 as one of the first conservation areas under the nrca act, RCW 79.71. The site protects an outstanding example of washington s native ecosystems, with more than five miles of undeveloped shorelines and hundreds of acres of wetlands and mature forests in the henderson inlet watershed. This nrca is a regionally significant refuge for wildlife, hosting and protecting shorebirds and songbirds, harbor seals, river otters, bald eagles, a heron rookery, a colony of double-crested cormorants, the native olympia oysters, and one of the largest BAT maternity colonies in washington state.woodard BAY nrca was approved for registration on the national register of historic places as a rural historic landscape for its rich human history, which includes tribes, early settlers to southern puget sound, and the logging and shellfish industries. More than twenty archaeological sites have been identified for protection within the conservation area. The nrca is a favorite destination for people to connect with nature. The site offers interpretive signs, a learning shelter, and several miles of hiking trails, providing opportunities for visitors to learn about native wildlife species and nearshore and wetland ecosystems. Frequent visitors include kindergarten through twelfth grade students and higher education classes. DNR also engages with local non-profit organizations and volunteer site stewards in habitat restoration activities. An additional objective of this grant includes partnering to begin restoring portions of the acquired property by removing invasive weed species.DNR has successfully acquired 922 acres within the nrca boundary utilizing ncwcgp funding, washington wildlife recreation program (wwrp) grants, and state capital funds. Project funding partners for this proposal include the south puget sound salmon enhancement group (spsseg), squaxin island tribe, black hills audubon society, and taylor shellfish company. The proposal is also supported by capitol land trust (CLT) and complements their initiatives in budd and henderson inlets, which include conservation of more than 600 acres, funded in part from prior ncwcgp grants.