SerpApi.Org
Nature lovers are celebrating the protection of about 2,300 acres of land along the Columbia River from commercial logging and development.
The area, along Rattlesnake Creek near White Salmon, is an important habitat for salmon and other wildlife.
Kaola Swanson, Columbia Gorge program manager for The Conservation Fund, which managed the land’s transfer to Columbia Land Trust, said the fund has been working in the Columbia Gorge alongside many partners to protect more than 100,000 acres.
"The goal is that we protect all 100,000 acres as forest land into the future so that 100 years from now, it really looks and feels a lot like it does today, and that'll be to the benefit of wildlife, climate and the human communities who live here," Swanson outlined.
Swanson explained the Conservation Fund acquired the land in 2021 from private owners and worked with Columbia Land Trust for the organization to become the long-term steward. Swanson added the newly protected area will be open to the public.
Swanson stressed conserving Rattlesnake Creek will enable stream restoration efforts meant to improve water quality for salmon and trout. The area is also home to mature Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak forests, which have now been thinned to reduce fuels and encourage older tree growth. Swanson noted the project will support the local economies through sustainable forest management.
"The Conservation Fund has a dual mission to do both environmental and community benefit work, so we really try to bring both of those lenses when we come to a landscape," Swanson emphasized.
There is a lot of pressure in the region for development, Swanson acknowledged, so protecting and maintaining the forest is the main goal.
