M2 Right Sugar Acquisition

The Methow River provides significant spawning and rearing areas for ESA-listed (endangered) Upper Columbia River (UCR) Spring Chinook salmon, spawning and rearing habitat for ESA-listed (threatened) UCR steelhead and Columbia River bull trout, and also supports Pacific lamprey, cutthroat, and Coho. This project is in the M2 Reach, where the RTT Biological Strategy identifies protection as a level 1 priority.

The M2 Right Sugar project area is located in the Middle Methow (M2) reach and includes approx. 1,700 ft. of river & side channel along the Methow River. This acquired property is located in the Sugar Levee project area, prioritized by Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (MSRF) and Bureau of Reclamation for acquisition and restoration, and builds on four properties already acquired for protection and future restoration. The property is included within the project area MSRF has proposed for restoration under the BPA Targeted Solicitation.

Acquisition was necessary as the landowner was reluctant to allow restoration to occur on their property, fearing it would compromise the value of a surveyed building site. From a habitat perspective, preservation of the active floodplain is the highest priority. If the owners had developed the home site, the development would have precluded active floodplain processes. MSRF reached a negotiated agreement with the owners to sell the portion of the property that was of the highest restoration priority.

Under this funding agreement, MSRF purchased the property and retired all development rights other than supporting future restoration on this and adjacent properties. The acquisition increases certainties for restoration within the project area.

After securing the property, significant coordination with adjacent owners was required to secure public access to the site. MSRF entered into negotiations with two adjacent landowners to acquire access through their properties for public uses. In the end we succeeded in meeting the access need through acquisition of needed restoration property between this property and an earlier MSRF acquisition. As a result, MSRF now has continuous ownership from Highway 20 to the subject property.

To acquire key riparian floodplain habitat, adjacent to other protected habitat, which benefits steelhead and chinook.