• Acquisition from Hancock Timber Resource Group provides critical habitat for salmon and other wildlife

Columbia Land Trust has acquired 15 miles of Klickitat River frontage from Hancock Timber Resource Group, conserving it in perpetuity, the two organizations announced today. The property, which includes an old forest haul road, contains critical spawning, migration, and rearing habitat for federally threatened steelhead, Chinook salmon, and Coho salmon.

The section of river includes five parcels containing 480 acres in all. The purchase ensures that this habitat will continue to support not only fish but also migratory birds and one of the largest breeding populations of threatened Lewis' woodpecker in Washington state.

"The 480 acres, in the heart of the 14,000-acre Washington State Klickitat Wildlife Area, are surrounded primarily by wild lands. "Thanks to our members, donors, and partners, we are knitting together networks of conserved land for clean water, for natural habitat, and for future generations. This acquisition is a great investment for us all," said Glenn Lamb, Executive Director of Columbia Land Trust. "We have a long history of working with conservation groups," said John Davis, Western Regional Manager for Hancock Timber Resource Group. "We're pleased to be able to work with Columbia Land Trust to safeguard a place as special as this stretch of the Klickitat."

The ribbon of road along the river was historically used for hauling logs from forestlands near Glenwood and Trout Lake to the now-defunct sawmill in the town of Klickitat, which marks the southern end of the 15-mile stretch of river. Columbia Land Trust's stewardship of the property and road will restore fish access to backwater channels and ensure long-term protection of some of the highest riparian habitat diversity within the watershed.

A grant from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board provided about 85% of the funding for the purchase, with the remainder coming from the Wildlife Forever Fund. Also, in partnership with Yakama Nation Fisheries, the Land Trust has already received grant funding to conduct restoration activities on the property.

Since 1998, Columbia Land Trust has worked with local landowners to conserve more than 2,000 acres in the lower Klickitat River watershed. With this acquisition, Columbia Land Trust has now conserved 2,500 acres and about 18 miles of riparian and floodplain habitat in the Klickitat and Little Klickitat watersheds. The area, known for natural beauty, fishing and recreation opportunities, will continue to be open to current uses.

Columbia Land Trust is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving signature landscapes and vital habitat together with the landowners and communities of the Columbia River region. The Land Trust conserves lands in both Oregon and Washington, from the east side of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean. For more information contact Columbia Land Trust at (360) 696-0131, (503) 224-3601, or www.columbialandtrust.org.

Hancock Timber Resource Group, a division of Hancock Natural Resource Group, Inc., an operating company of MFC Global Investment Management, manages approximately 3.8 million acres of timberland on behalf of its clients. The timberlands, worth approximately US$6 billion, are located in the Pacific Northwest, Northeast and in the Southeast United States as well as Canada, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia. Additional information about HTRG may be found at its website, www.hancocktimber.com.