Kittitas County conservation group Forterra buys 480 acres of forestland
The Mount Amabilis property was purchased to provide critical wildlife habitat and serves as an important piece of the long-range strategy to conserve habitat lands near the planned Interstate 90 wildlife bridges that will allow wildlife to cross I-90 safely.
The nonprofit conservation group Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) on Dec. 7 purchased 480 acres of forest habitat for permanent conservation a few miles northeast of Easton near the shores of Lake Kachess, according to a news release.
The Mount Amabilis property was purchased to provide critical wildlife habitat and serves as an important piece of the long-range strategy to conserve habitat lands near the planned Interstate 90 wildlife bridges that will allow wildlife to cross I-90 safely.
The acquisition was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in accordance with a habitat conservation plan for nearby lands. Forterra will own the land and the state Department of Natural Resources will hold a conservation easement on the property, ensuring the land will be permanently protected.
Forterra purchased the property from Merrill and Ring Forest Products for $1.37 million. Prior to the purchase, the company divided the 480 acres into six parcels, which were being marketed for second home development.
Forterra will manage the land to maintain and enhance wildlife habitat values to support deer, elk, cougar, bear, bobcat and other species that use it as part of a key connectivity corridor through the central Cascades, the news release said.
"The Amabilis property is one of the first projects we have completed under our new name, Forterra," said Gene Duvernoy, Forterra president. "It shows we not only are still doing core conservation work, but that we are succeeding at securing multiple goals critical to our region. Forterra continues our unwavering commitment to conserving the great lands of this region."
With the Mount Amabilis purchase, Forterra has conserved more than 3,000 acres of wildlife habitat along the I-90 corridor over the past five years. The U.S. Forest Service and other agencies also have acquired property in the corridor to help serve wildlife and recreation needs.
The I-90 wildlife bridges project is part of the state Department of Transportation's plan to expand a 15-mile stretch of the highway between Hyak and Easton to reduce traffic problems and improve road conditions, freight mobility, safety and ecological connectivity. The wildlife bridges will allow animals to safely cross I-90.
