Press/Media Releases

Wetland Mitigation Project

Wetlands work in store off Reser Road

The Blue Mountain Land Trust brokered the deal, which will be paid for by the state.
By Andy Porter, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
U-B photo by ANDY PORTER. A red-winged blackbird perches on a cattail amid a 23-acre parcel destined to be restored as native wetland through a conservation agreement between the owners and Blue Mountain Land Trust.

WALLA WALLA -- Migrating waterfowl will soon have a new stop on their way through Walla Walla County.

A 23-acre wetland site on farmland off of Reser Road southeast of Walla Walla is slated for restoration through a conservation agreement brokered by the Blue Mountain Land Trust.

Beth Thiel, land trust conservation and stewardship director, said the agreement was worked out "after a year of project research, discussion and negotiation" to permanently protect the wetland.

The site, a marshy area amid rolling fields planted for wheat, will be planted with native vegetation and grasses in the next several years. The restoration will be done by private, tribal and public agencies, Thiel said.

Workers with two of the groups involved, Tri-State Steelheaders and Ducks Unlimited, will begin work this week on measurement and design of the wetland. The work, which will involve excavation of ground for a pond along with the plantings, is expected to begin next summer.

Along with the two conservation groups, other partners include the Walla Walla County Conservation District, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Thiel said.

Funds to complete the conservation agreement, buy the land and do the restoration work will come from the Washington Department of Transportation as mitigation for impacts to smaller wetlands during the latest phase of construction to widen U.S. Highway 12 to four lanes. Andy Porter can be reached at andyporter@wwub.com or 526-8318.

from Archives: Local News
Updated: Thursday, May 21, 2009

Blue Mountain Land Trust welcomes new ED

Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT), located in Walla Walla, has reorganized its business activities by creating a separate position that emphasizes conservation and stewardship activities in addition to the position of executive director.

Assuming the position of Executive Director is Tom Dwonch. Tom most recently was the development director for the land trust. As executive director he will be responsible for management of the organization, fund raising, and communications. Tom worked many years for the Bonneville Power Administration in public affairs and customer relations and for Columbia Rural Electric Association as manager of marketing and member services.

Beth Thiel assumes the responsibilities for conservation and stewardship activities. Beth has served with the Blue Mountain Land Trust for the past six years as the manager of the organization as well as being responsible for conservation and stewardship activities. In her new position she will be responsible for working with interested landowners to establish conservation agreements that will help protect unique qualities on their land and for oversight of the agreements once they have been finalized.

 “We are in the midst of a significant increase in development pressures on our rural lands and in landowner interest in conservation,” says Carl Scheeler, BMLT Board President. “We believe this change will better position us to respond to the increased interest, and to assist landowners in achieving their conservation goals. We’re excited to have Tom and Beth working together to help protect the unique qualities of land in the Blue Mountain region.”

BMLT is a non-profit organization that assists private landowners who desire to protect unique agricultural, cultural, scenic, or natural resources on their land. The organization was established in 1999 by local citizens and is one of over 1600 land trusts in the United States. The Land Trust is governed by a board of eleven local citizens who represent a diverse cross section of the community. BMLT helps interested landowners realize financial benefits in return for placing conservation agreements on their land. At the same time the landowner continues to own and use the land for purposes compatible with conditions contained in the agreement.
 

Deal to safeguard stretch of creekside A conservation agreement will protect land along Coppei Creek from development.


By ANDY PORTER of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

  Feb. 6, 2009

WAITSBURG -- A stretch of Coppei Creek here is due to be buffed up thanks to a local couple.

Working with the Blue Mountain Land Trust, residents David and Julie Karl have dedicated about 16 acres on the stream's north side for protection through a conservation agreement. The voluntary contract will help preserve the land from development while keeping ownership in the Karl family.

Plans call for work to start this fall to rip out invasive plants, such as blackberry bushes, and put in native vegetation and trees. The replanting will be done under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, David Karl said.

"It's a great mix for a conservation agreement because this land is sub-irrigated by the creek," he said. "Plus we feel really strongly that the CREP will do very well out there."

The land being protected by the agreement is on the border of property the Karls now contract to have farmed for alfalfa.

Although the agreement reduces the amount of ground being cultivated, the Karls said the overall benefit is worth it.

"It seems like a loss, but it's really a long-term gain," Julie Karl said. The streamside buffer zone will have an average width of about 75 feet. The trees and plants will help anchor the stream banks and protect against erosion, filter runoff into the creek and cool the water during the summer.

The conservation work will have another important benefit, David Karl said, and that is helping to protect the population of wild steelhead that have made a home in Coppei Creek.

"This basically gives the stream an opportunity to live," he said. "It gives the stream a chance to establish itself."

Andy Porter can be reached at andyporter@wwub.com or 525-3300, ext. 282.