Cedar River Legacy is an on-going program to protect and restore critical, high-quality salmon habitat on the lower Cedar River. Priorities for habitat acquisition were ranked in the Cedar River Basin Plan Plan (adopted in July 1997). The list has been periodically updated as properties have been purchased and new opportunities have arisen. An annual ranking process scores potential acquisitions on the basis of habitat value, feasibility (i.e. landowner willingness), threat, connectivity to other open space habitat, and, secondarily, benefits to other goals such as passive recreation and flood reduction. The Cedar River Council assists technical staff in the final ranking process, helping to assure that there is community support for the Cedar River Legacy program. The Cedar River Council meets monthly and is comprised of basin residents, and representatives of community groups, businesses, and local, state and tribal governments. The lower Cedar River basin extends from the Landsburg Dam to the river mouth at Renton, draining a 66-square mile area. The Cedar River and its tributaries still contain much of the best remaining habitat in the Lake Washington system and supports significant runs of sockeye, coho, chinook and steelhead. The basin is facing tremendous growth pressure, placing an especially high priority on purchasing high quality habitat in the basin to protect it from degradation and preserve ecological functions necessary to support salmon runs.