Capitol Land Trust protected this property through a conservation easement. It is a 75-acre parcel containing a mix of riparian/wetland/floodplain habitat (45-50 acres), and associated conifer forest and oak woodland buffers (15-20 acres). The mainstem and off-channel habitat forms a complex system of waterways for salmonids. A rich native vegetation buffer lines the property's riparian areas, providing excellent protection for salmonids and recruitment source of Large Woody Debris (LWD). Black River is a high priority sub-basin in the Chehalis Watershed and is one of the largest remaining riparian wetland systems in western Washington. It is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the state, and residential development is a primary threat to salmonids. This project addressed both habitat protection and water quality needs by reducing future habitat loss and water quality degradation associated with development. Black River and associated tributaries provide important rearing and spawning habitat for steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout (federal proposed-threatened), and chum, coho (federal candidate) and Chinook salmon. The Bergquist parcel is situated between major protected areas including the USFWS's Black River Unit (Nisqually Wildlife Refuge) and other protected areas owned by The Nature Conservancy, Thurston County and Capitol Land Trust. This conservation easement has the support of The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the landowners.