Conservation projects are those that conserve ecological value of habitats through fee simple purchase, conservation easements, or voluntary landowner agreements.

A conservation easement is a restriction placed on a piece of property to protect its associated resources. The easement is either voluntarily donated or sold by the landowner. It is registered with the title and constitutes a legally binding agreement that limits certain types of uses, usually in perpetuity. Examples of conditions that can be included in an easement include extinguishing the development rights of a property, limiting clear cutting or management of forests, creating buffers along critical areas, or providing the right to conduct restoration in those critical areas. The easement is usually held by a private organization or public agency and the conditions set forth in the easement are monitored in perpetuity. However, the land remains in private hands.

Conservation projects currently exist in the Lower Dosewallips River, from the Estuary upstream to confluence of Rocky Brook.