By Eric Wilson-Edge
Here’s something you may not know. The water most Olympians drink comes from the Nisqually Watershed. We’ve all driven past the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and seen the delta where the Nisqually River ends. For many of us, this is both the end and the beginning of our experience with the river.
The Nisqually River is largely hidden from public view. The river starts in the Mount Rainier National Park and snakes 78 miles to that spot by the freeway. The watershed is rich timberland and home to salmon, spotted owls and a myriad of other creatures.
The Nisqually Land Trust started in 1989 with the idea of protecting and conserving this huge swath of land. “We currently own almost 5,000 acres,” says the trust’s Executive Director Joe Kane. The funds to purchase this land comes largely through fundraising and grants.
The idea of a land trust is a relatively new one in the Western United States. “There are 26 land trusts in Washington,” says Kane. “The idea for our trust grew out of the Nisqually Tribe’s efforts to protect and restore habitat for salmon.”
Managing a trust requires striking a balance between needs. On the one hand, the watershed is prime timber country but it’s also where the endangered Nisqually Steelhead live. There are only 400 adult steelhead remaining. “One bad year and we could lose the species,” says Kane.
Land ownership in the watershed is a hodgepodge of private and public. Some of the land is owned by investment groups whose stakeholders live in various locations around the world. “We need to come up with a post-globalized plan for land ownership in the watershed,” says Kane.
The big idea floating around land trust circles is the community forest. “A community forest is one that is owned and managed for the benefit of the Nisqually community,” says Kane. In this model, trees would still be harvested but in a way that considered by some to be more sustainable and less environmentally damaging. The land could also be opened up for other purposes, such as creating mountain biking trails.
“We’re really starting to recognize that we’ll survive as a community organization by connecting with people and connecting them to the land,” says Kane. There are already several programs available to the public including guided nature walks.
Since its inception 25 years ago, the Nisqually Land Trust has made significant strides. “In 1989, three percent of the riparian zones in the watershed were under permanent conservation status,” says Kane. “Right now that number is around 77 percent.” This success is partially due to the trust but other agencies have stepped in to help including the Nisqually Tribe and the City of Tacoma.
The trust is hosting its annual benefit auction on Saturday, April 26. The event is full. However, you can still donate time or money by visiting the website. If you’d like to sign up for a nature walk click on the link.
