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March 18 – 20, 2014

March 18 – 20, 2014. Federal Grants Program Review. Forest Legacy Purpose. Protect environmentally significant forest areas threatened by conversion Maintain ecologic and economic contributions of working forests. Carbon River Conservation Easement, Pierce County. Summary/Overview.

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March 18 – 20, 2014

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  1. March 18 – 20, 2014 Federal Grants Program Review

  2. Forest Legacy Purpose • Protect environmentally significant forest areas threatened by conversion • Maintain ecologic and economic contributions of working forests Carbon River Conservation Easement, Pierce County

  3. Summary/Overview • Program oversight by Forest Stewardship Committee and State Forester • Implemented by Transactions Section • Funded by federal administrative grants and state general fund appropriation • Staff is 1 – 2 FTEs depending on funding level • Federal dollars purchase development rights (“conservation easement”) or the entire property (“fee ownership”) • 25% cost share by state and/or partners

  4. Strategy • Initial projects helped build the Mountains to Sound Greenway along I-90 • After 2001, emphasis shifted to protecting large forest blocks • Conversion threat and significance are keys to identifying successful projects: • In path of urban development • Risk of fragmentation (rural areas) • Protect habitats, species, water quality • Protect timber-related jobs, local economy • Support other federal, state, local initiatives

  5. Early Years – I-90 Greenway 1995-2001 Performance Measures

  6. Skykomish River CE 2003

  7. Mt St Helens CE 2010

  8. Skykomish River Lind (Fed) Mitchell Hill Raging River Tahuya Kimball Creek; Plum Creek (State & Fed) Grouse Ridge Forest Gateway Edge Cedar Green Issaquah Creek Yakima River Carbon River Forest Legacy Properties Mt St Helens

  9. 20 years of Forest Legacy in Washington Acres protected through fee or easement: 37,906 Acres of cost-share property: 4,112 Total 42,018 Conservation easements 11 Fee ownership 3 Total sites 14 Project grants received in 12 out of 16 years applied (1998-2013) About $29 million spent on program and projects (± $700/acre)

  10. 2011 Program Review 2012 Quality Assurance Inspection • Positive results: • Recognized good management • Successful even with limited staff and state budget issues • Strong commitment to conserving working forest • Leverages conservation dollars • Regularly submits competitive projects • Good quality appraisals, knowledgeable staff

  11. 2011 Program Review 2012 Quality Assurance Inspection Improvements needed:

  12. Pysht Skykomish River Mitchell Hill Raging River Lind (Fed); Rattlesnake Mtn. (State & Fed) Kimball Creek Tahuya Grouse Ridge Forest Gateway Edge Cedar Green Issaquah Creek Yakima River Carbon River New Projects Klickitat Canyon Mt St Helens March 18, 2014 12

  13. What’s ahead: • “Building Capacity” grant – program development for WA FLP through workshops involving federal, state, non-profit conservation partners • Update to Forest Action Plan in 2015 will include update to Forest Legacy Assessment of Need • On-going grant applications and grant management

  14. Forest Legacy Program Forest Legacy website: www.dnr.wa.gov/BusinessPermits/Topics/ConservationTransactions/Pages/forest_legacy.aspx

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