Washington Department of Natural Resources State Forest Trust Lands West of the Cascades Habitat Conservation Plan
June 16, 1999
This multi-species HCP has a 70- to 100-year term for 1.14 million acres of industrial timber lands managed by the Washington State.
Affected Species
- Chinook salmon (Lower Columbia River, Puget Sound),
- Chum salmon (Hood Canal summer run, Columbia River),
- Sockeye salmon (Ozette Lake), and
- Steelhead (Lower Columbia River)
Summary
This multi-species HCP has a 70- to 100-year term for 1.14 million acres of industrial timber lands managed by the Washington State. Unstable slopes, wetlands, and riparian areas are protected, and existing roads are managed to reduce impacts on salmon habitats and restore watershed functions. Thinning of riparian areas will be done only when it can restore old forest conditions believed optimum for watershed function and salmon habitat. The innovative details of riparian thinning were developed in 2001 – 2005. The HCP was signed in January 1997, and NOAA Fisheries issued the Incidental Take Permit in June 1999.