Hundley Conservation Easement
Yakima River
This key riparian property in northern Kittitas County along the mainstem Yakima River has been permanently protected for fish and wildlife habitat. The Hundley property is 431 contiguous acres of riparian forests, ponds, wetlands and shorelines that is bisected by the mainstem Yakima River for 1.3 river miles. The principals of the Hundley Family Limited Partnership, William and Richard Hundley, granted a conservation easement on their property in November 2010 after five years of discussions and negotiations with the Kittitas Conservation Trust, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Yakama Nation. The Hundleys extinguished the property’s development rights and agreed to maintain the fish and wildlife habitat values in perpetuity.
The Property supports a diversity of wildlife species, possesses natural beauty and open space, holds significant scenic and esthetic values, and includes high quality riparian, wetland, side channel, and associated upland habitats. The Hundley reach of the Yakima River is premier spawning habitat for Spring Chinook salmon with some of the highest densities of redds in the upper Yakima River. The property is also crucial for protecting terrestrial wildlife migration routes that include crossings of the Yakima River within north-south corridors. Landscape scale habitat connectivity is vital for ecosystem health and natural biodiversity for species like cougar, deer and elk.
The Hundley property connects hundreds of acres of other protected properties owned by WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Parks, Suncadia Resort, and Bonneville Power Administration to create a meaningful assembly of conserved habitat within the Cle Elum and Yakima Rivers’ confluence landscape. Acquisition funding partners for the purchase of the Hundley conservation easement included the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office, WA Salmon Recovery Funding Board, and the Bonneville Power Administration.
The Yakima River along the Hundley Easement