Swamp Lake Forest Acquisition

In 2009, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Trust for Public Land, and Kittitas Conservation Trust partnered to acquire the Swamp Lake Forest from a private landowner. This land provided key habitat for endangered species and other important wildlife. This purchase is part of a larger conservation effort to protect land in this critical ecosystem corridor.

This 71-acre, forested property is located near the Kachess Lake Reservoir.  A dense Douglas fir/Pacific silver fir forest dominates nearly the entire 2,500-foot property. Swamp Lake Forest is bordered by US Forest Service (USFS) land to the north and south and private lands owned by Forterra to the east and west. The surrounding landscape includes industrial timberlands, public forest, and rural residential development.

Swamp Lake Forest plays a small, but important role in recovery efforts for many at-risk wildlife species, including Canada lynx, Pacific fisher, and the northern spotted owl. Next to the property lies Swamp Lake, which is home to native mollusks, rare plants, and an array of fungi making Swamp Lake Forest an important protective buffer for the lake.