By Natasha Ashenhurst
The Black River southwest of Olympia is slow and meandering. A major tributary to the Chehalis, it is pristine, in part because so much of the land surrounding it is undeveloped. The river is part of a complex system of wetlands, streams, prairies, bogs, forests, farms and timberlands that are home to hundreds of animal species, making it one of the most unique lowland river systems in the Pacific Northwest. Future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy this incredible resource, thanks to a strong commitment to fund conservation by the Washington State Legislature and the folks at Capitol Land Trust.
Nearly $3 million was included in the recently passed budget to fund projects led by Capitol Land Trust, including protecting and restoring lands along the Black River.
“The Black River is a very unique resource across the state of Washington. We have a great opportunity to protect this impact watershed. We want to fix the culvert so the salmon can come up higher, and protect habitat for the Oregon Spotted Frog,” said Amanda Reed, executive director of Capitol Land Trust. The Black River project will include replanting native species along the river.
Other new projects funded by the recently passed budget include conservation of the Nelson Family Ranch—a project that will conserve a large cattle ranch along the Deschutes River—expanding Mason County’s Coulter Creek Park near Allyn, and an acquisition near the Lake Lucinda community. These last two projects will expand public access to hiking and non-motorized boating.
Capitol Land Trust is a charitable 501(c)(3) and is funded, in part, by grant programs made available through the legislature. Each project they work on is different and has different funding requirements, but regardless of the project, their mission remains the same, and that is protecting and conserving land in southwest Washington.
The nonprofit organization accomplishes their mission through a variety of methods. In some cases, they collaborate with landowners to secure conservation easements, which are permanent agreements that conserve land while keeping it in private ownership. For other projects, they accept donations of, and in some cases also purchase, land and conservation easements. Their approach is working. Since 1987 the group has put in permanent conservation more than 14 miles of Puget Sound shoreline and over 5,000 acres in Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor and Lewis Counties – including wildlife habitat, working farms and forests, and land managed as public parks.
And while their core mission is to protect land, another key goal that emerged from their recent five year strategic plan is a commitment to connect people with nature. Reed explains, “We want to provide people with opportunities to get outside and engage with the land that we’ve preserved. Nature can provide recreation. Restoration is a fun way to learn. We want to help make those connections for people.”
A project that is near completion called Rose II Phase of Goldsborough Creek, will help meet this commitment to connect people with conservation land. For the last decade, Capitol Land Trust has prioritized conservation in Goldsborough Creek, which flows into Shelton’s Oakland Bay. Goldsborough is an important creek for water quality going into the bay, and for fish. Hikers enjoy the trail along the creek, and especially enjoy watching the salmon running in the fall.
“We’ve been trying to protect land along this creek and watershed as it becomes available, and with partners we’ve managed to protect 1,000 acres in that watershed. Rose Phase II adds 20 acres and is adjacent to our North Fork Goldsborough preserve,” Reed said.
On Saturday, August 1, Capitol Land Trust will hold its Annual Summer Gala and Auction at Ralph and Nancy Munro’s Triple Creek Farm on Eld Inlet in Olympia. Part of the proceeds from the event will go to new outreach and education programming. “Helping people make connections with nature is one of the things we’ll be raising money for at the gala,” said Reed.
The gala includes a large silent and live auction, locally sourced and prepared salmon by the Chehalis Tribe, beef from Nelson Family Ranch, and shellfish from Taylor Shellfish Farms, local beer and wine, and remarks by New York Times bestselling author and Seattle native, Garth Stein.
“We rely on donors to develop these projects until we can apply for public funding. We rely on sponsors to hold events like the Summer Gala,” explained Reed. “This gala is a celebration of our work, but it is also a critical piece to fund our mission—protecting and preserving the land. We have amazing places right in our backyard to protect, like the Black River, and it is important to do everything we can to move this work forward.”
To learn more about supporting the work of the Capitol Land Trust, visit their website.
