Skagit Land Trust (SLT) purchased five-acres of floodplain - one of the last few “pieces of the puzzle” in the 240-acre Cumberland Creek Natural Area. The property is surrounded on three sides by protected lands. If it was not acquired by SLT, it would have very likely been sold for residential development. SLT's protection of the property allows passive restoration to occur at a floodplain scale on the Cumberland peninsula, including allowing natural channel migration without damage to improvements on private property. There is also interest in restoring an old channel of Cumberland Creek, which once traversed the floodplain. The subject property, acquired on October 9, 2008, was the last remaining parcel north of the historic channel where private ownership could be in conflict with such efforts. Subsequent removal of trash and materials occured along with some plantings done at the clean-up site. The parcels that comprise this protected area were protected through five separate land transactions. The area was identified as a high priority in the Trust’s Middle Skagit Inventory and Assessment (00-1716N), and three land purchases were funded by SRFB (01-1364A). Two additional purchases were made by Trust partners. The larger protected area contains high quality spawning and side channel rearing habitat, and a tributary junction. This acquisition unified the management of the preserve. It protects water quality by preventing land clearing, erosion and non-point source pollution; and by protecting the forest stand, it also contributes to woody debris recruitment and reduction in velocity of flood waters.