4 South Sound wetland projects receive federal grants

Four South Sound wetlands projects will benefit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife grants announced late last week.

Projects receiving funding include:

Kennedy Creek land acquisition and restoration: The Washington Department of Natural Resources will receive $585,000 to acquire approximately 83 acres within the Kennedy Creek Natural Area in Thurston and Mason counties. The purchase is being made to protect critical wildlife habitat in the Oyster Bay watershed, including tidal reaches of Kennedy and Schneider creeks. The project will also protect adjacent salt marsh, tide flats, uplands and riparian forests that provide habitat for salmon, shorebirds, peregrine falcons and purple martins.

West Oakland Bay restoration and conservation: The Washington Department of Ecology, in partnership with the Squaxin Island Tribe, will receive $1 million to protect and restore critical coastal wetlands in Mason County. The project will acquire 14 acres of wetlands and coastline and restore 21.7 acres of salt marsh at the mouth of Goldsborough Creek as part of a larger effort to conserve and restore marine habitats in the Oakland Bay watershed important for recreation, oyster growers, tribal uses and wildlife.

Elwha Watershed acquisition and restoration: The state Department of Ecology will receive $1 million to acquire and restore more than 46 acres in the Elwha River watershed. The project complements the wildlife habitat work associated with the recent removal of the Elwha River dams.

Puget Sound eelgrass restoration project: A $1 million grant will restore eelgrass at various state Department of Natural Resources sites. WDNR will restore 4.14 acres of subtidal eelgrass in Puget Sound. Eelgrass improves water quality, fisheries and wildlife habitat while mitigating the effects of ocean acidification and sea-level rise.

The local projects were among 28 conservation projects encompassing nearly 10,000 acres of coastal wetlands receiving more than $20 million from the 2016 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife awards grants of up to $1 million based on a national competition, which enables the states to determine and address their highest conservation priorities in coastal areas. State, local and tribal governments, private landowners, conservation groups and other partners will contribute more than $20 million in additional matching funds toward these projects.

For a complete list of the 2016 grants, go to fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants.

This story was originally published March 27, 2016 at 9:50 AM with the headline "4 South Sound wetland projects receive federal grants."