Skagit Watershed Habitat Acquisition IV

Skagit Land Trust (SLT) protected high quality Chinook habitat in the Skagit River system through voluntary land acquisition as part of this grant. Following the 2017 Skagit Watershed Council Protection Strategy, the project protected high priority parcels in Tier 1 floodplains of the mainstem Skagit as identified in the Skagit Watershed Councils 2015 Strategic Approach.

The project also included an outreach/assessment component. This component provided funds for outreach, evaluation, site visits, submittal of projects for approval by lead entity and necessary due diligence for each potential acquisition. This allowed for multiple potential acquisitions to be analyzed concurrently to ensure the highest priority parcels are pursued and that there is successful utilization of grant funds.

This project was funded by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) on September 16, 2020, as a $1,176,471 comprehensive acquisition, landowner outreach and restoration feasibility study grant for both the middle and upper Skagit River reaches. For administration purposes, the project was split into two separate grant agreements (20-2121, Seattle City Light). The Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) grant funds may be transferred between grants, if necessary.

Protection of Tier 1 floodplains of the mainstem Skagit, Sauk and Cascade and Tier 2 tributaries for the primary benefit of juvenile Chinook habitat and habitat-forming natural processes.