Cascades to Rockies milestone attained

Cascades to Rockies milestone attained

Conservation Northwest / Jan 08, 2014 / Columbia Highlands

In late December 2013, Conservation Northwest completed its Columbia Highlands Initiative Capital Campaign, including the final phase of on-the-ground habitat protection and raising the concluding gifts for this multiyear, $1.65 million campaign.

The funds enabled Conservation Northwest to purchase conservation easements that permanently retired mining and development rights on 1,024 acres working ranchlands. This included the entirety of the Dawson Ranch in Stevens County and the key eastern section of the Gotham Ranch in Ferry County. The easements helped these families fulfill their dream of committing their land to agriculture, open space, and wildlife habitat.

The result is safer passage between core habitat in the Cascades and Rockies for wildlife like wolves, wolverines, lynx, and bears. The campaign also allowed Conservation Northwest to contribute to research on Canada lynx in the Kettle River Range.

Conservation Northwest members contributed $1.35M, which provided leverage to gain substantial grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the federal Farm and Ranch Protection Program. The easements themselves are being held by our campaign partners, Inland Northwest Land Trust and Okanogan Land Trust.