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Tieton River Canyon gets funding for preservation November 21st, 2003 By
Anna King Wenatchee, WA - The beauty and importance of the Tieton River Canyon is hard to miss, even clear across the country in Washington, D.C. Last week, President Bush penned Congress' Interior Budget, meaning the Tieton River Canyon will receive about $1 million dollars from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The canyon is about 20 miles west of Yakima. It stretches from the arid desert of the Mid-Columbia to the more lush forests of the eastern Cascades. The canyon appears seamless, but the 20,000 acres of mostly untouched wilderness is a jigsaw puzzle of public and private land. Many were concerned that those private parcels would be developed after they were sold by a timber company. Earlier this year, the Nature Conservancy of Washington launched a campaign to protect 10,000 acres in the canyon. The organization plans to buy the land and turn it over to the Wenatchee National Forest. The property, owned by Plum Creek Timber Co., is within the bounds of the national forest. "We're ecstatic. We are just elated that it's been approved by Congress and now the president," said Len Barson, director of federal government relations for the conservancy. This marks the first time the federal government has supported the campaign. It comes right after a Washington state appropriation of $2.5 million. The federal money brings the tally to about $4 million, which will buy about 2,000 acres of the sensitive land. The conservancy needs about $9 million to complete the project and protect all 10,000 acres. But paper moves slow. The conservancy expects land to transfer ownership from the timber company to the National Forest Service in a few months, Barson said. Which land will be purchased first still hasn't been decided but, "The forest service is most interested in the land most adjacent to the river," Barson said. This is another great step in a whirlwind year, said Betsy Bloomfield, a program manager for the conservancy. If all federal, state and private money comes through, the conservancy will have enough to buy 5,000 acres, about half the total, she said. "Especially since we started this campaign in February, that's an amazing accomplishment," Bloomfield said. However, the conservancy still has a lot of work ahead to secure the remaining parcels of sensitive land. "With the economy and the budget problems in Olympia, you can't expect to get appropriations of the same amount next year," Barson said. To complete the project, the conservancy will have to dig out new public grants and more private funds. The group is currently applying for a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for about $500,000, he said. "This project has just captured people's attention. It's real gratifying," Barson said. To learn more about, or to make donations to help preserve the Tieton River Canyon, call the Nature Conservancy of Washington at 206-343-4344. Or visit the Web site at www.nature.org/washington. |