The Cascades Conservation Partnership
A partnership effort spearheaded by Conservation Northwest and others that from 2000 to 2004 brought 45,000 acres of forests, lakes, and river into public ownership, connecting and protecting lands in the I-90 corridor of Washington's Cascades for wildlife habitat, trails, and recreation.
Connecting Alpine Lakes to Mount Rainier
Conservation Northwest has long been protecting Washington's Central Cascades. In 2000 we spearheaded The Cascades Conservation Partnership, an innovative project that raised nearly $16 million in private donations and $68 million in public funds to protect key forest lands from logging and development.
Lands we protected range from the Cooper River north of Cle Elum, to Snoqualmie and Stampede Pass along I-90, to Manastash Ridge southwest of Cle Elum and Sawmill Creek in the Green River watershed. In four years during the course of the campaign, The Partnership inspired more than 16,000 people to protect nearly 45,000 acres of natural lands.
These nearly 60 square miles, now protected as public lands managed by the US Forest Service, enhance a wildlife corridor linking the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area to Mount Rainier National Park. The Partnership's mission in acquiring new public land was always twofold, public access and wildlife habitat. Thanks to the support of thousands of people through this innovative and effective partnership, lands on both sides of Interstate 90 now feature old-growth forests, critical wildlife habitat, and well-loved hiking trails.
Today, another remarkable coalition is building off The Partnership's work to protect a thriving wildlife corridor. Learn more.
