Conservation Northwest

Habitat connectivity:we are successfully protecting vital wildlife corridors and reconnected habitat between Washington's north cascades and mountain wildlands to its Northwest, northeast, south, and west. This year we initiated research and partnerships that we aim to lead to the building of wildlife crossings on interstate 5 to promote connectivity between the cascades adn the chehalis valley adn olympic ecosystem beyond. To advance safe wildlife passage on highway 97, we won an increase in state funding started efforts toward larger federal funding. We also continued pilot projects with virtual fencing that enable removal of barb wire from key sageland habitat corridors and improved the permeability to wildlife of the satsop bridge on highway 12 in the cascades to olympics corridor.

Restoring wildlife:through this program we champion the return of iconic wildlife while building greater social tolerance to safeguard their long-term recovery. This year we continued reintroduction of lynx to the kettle range, working with indigenous nations in the us and canada to trap and translocate another 7 lynx. Our direct engagement with ranchers in wolf country has helped keep conflict between wolves and livestock to a minimum, and our success over the past few years has meant that Washington has had the lowest rate of human-caused world mortality of any wolf state.

Protecting wildlands:this program focuses on preserving large blocks of habitat, including forest, sageland, and general wildlands, as cornerstones of ecological resilience and for long-term survival and recovery of imperiled wildlife. In the past year, we collaborated with diverse interests to advance science-driven outcomes on forestry projects on state and federal lands and the policies under which they are formulated.

Other program efforts to protect, connect and restore wildlands and wildlife from the Washington coast to the british columbia rockies.