DESCRIPTION
Developed a science-based prioritization of shoreline parcels to acquire for conservation (and associated restoration if applicable) of nearshore and estuarine processes. The prioritization will be used to: 1) inform where to emphasize efforts to identify willing landowners, and 2)Inform decisions about whether to purchase parcel(s) that opportunistically come on the market by characterizing the relative priority of the parcel(s). The tool was completed and applied at the next available grant round (2020). It enabled the late application for acquisition of a key nearshore parcel in the highest prioritized watershed in WRIA 6.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust (Land Trust) contracted with Confluence Environmental to develop a model to prioritize nearshore parcels in WRIA 6 (Island County) for conservation acquisition (and restoration), for purposes of aiding in the recovery of salmon populations.
The completed model (and report) will be used to inform where to aim landowner outreach, and evaluate opportunities that arise based the relative priority of the parcel(s).