Swamp Lake II
71 Acre Forest Acquisition
The Kittitas Conservation Trust worked with the Trust for Public Land, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and WA Dept. of Natural Resources to become the fee simple owner of 71 forested acres adjacent to Swamp Lake near Amaballis Mountain in northern Kittitas County. Permanent habitat protections will benefit northern spotted owl, grizzly bear, gray wolf, and numerous other species. The acquisition of this forested habitat is vital to forming a wildlife corridor that ensures ecological connectivity between the north and south Cascade Mountains.
Forest stands are transitional between the different forest types found on the east and west sides of the Cascades and contain a mix of species and plant associations: Douglas-fir, western red cedar, silver fir, western hemlock, lodgepole pine, western white pine, western larch, cottonwood and alder. The forested property contains various coniferous stands that provide suitable age classes and snag-rich dead and down wood for a diverse habitat structure.
The Swamp Lake Forest will improve ecological connectivity and reduce the risk of localized extinction in this important wildlife corridor. Easton Hill and Swamp Lake have been identified as providing the best remaining connectivity for four species of large carnivores: grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine, and lynx in the habitat bottleneck east of Snoqualmie Pass.
Washington State Department of Transportation is planning to construct wildlife crossing structures as part of the widening of I-90 through the Swamp Lake area. A new terrestrial crossing structure will be less than one mile away at Swamp Creek and will benefit up to 36 species of mammals, 10 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 21 species of mollusks. The effectiveness of the I-90 wildlife crossing structures is dependent on the permanent protection of wildlife corridors that connect nodes of high quality natural areas, like the Swamp Lake Forest, to other natural areas.
Swamp Lake Forest