Land around Thurston County’s Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve and Kennedy Creek Natural Area was part of 1,724 acres the Washington state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) added to its conservation lands in 2023.
The natural areas were among 10 land acquisitions made to expand or enhance conservation areas throughout Washington, and they go along with 2,000 additional acres Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz designated for conservation in December, according to a DNR news release.
“I am so proud of what DNR has done to conserve lands for the next generations. Each of these land acquisitions is a crucial step forward in preserving and protecting our environment and they provide a great opportunity for Washingtonians to learn more about the lands around us,” Franz said in the release. “This is a win for our environment, a win for the public and a win for Washington state.”
Located on a prairie near Littlerock, the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is one of the state’s enduring geological mysteries. It consists of numerous uniform piles of sediment, sand and pebbles reaching up to 7 feet in height and up to 40 feet in diameter.
Multiple theories have been proposed to explain how the mounds were formed, including retreating glaciers carving them out, flooding erosion, vibrational shockwaves from earthquakes or even possibly the work of burrowing pocket gophers excavating nest chambers. No theory has been proven.
A total of 39 new acres were added to the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve to conserve habitat and expand oak forest, wet prairie, and rare ecosystem education opportunities, the release stated.
Located in a section of the Kennedy Creek riparian corridor near Kamilche, the Kennedy Creek Natural Area is home to one of Washington’s few remaining high quality marshes.
A total of 5 acres were added to the Kennedy Creek Natural area for preservation and to help maintain and potentially expand the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail, according to the release.
The other eight land acquisitions made by DNR in 2023 include:
• A 600-acre acquisition for the Mount Si Natural Resources Conservation Area in King County to provide crucial wildlife habitat in an urban area.
• A 5-acre acquisition for the Stavis Natural Resources Conservation Area in Kitsap County to help build awareness for conservation and potentially serve as a recreation access point for views of Hood Canal and the Olympics.
• A 780-acre acquisition to the Dabob Bay Natural Area in Jefferson County to help maintain and enhance the bay’s forest ecosystem and possibly develop public access to the conservation area in the future.
• An additional 14-acre to the Dabob Bay Natural Area in Jefferson County to protect the bay’s shoreline and be used as an environmental educational classroom for high school and college students.
• An 155-acre acquisition to the Washougal Oaks Natural Area in Clark County for oak forest conservation and restoration and to be used as an environmental educational classroom for high school and college students.
• An additional 38-acre acquisition to the Washougal Oaks Natural Area in Clark County to conserve rare plant habitat and serve as a research and educational area.
• A 2-acre acquisition to the Lacamas Prairie Natural Area in Clark County to add land to the prairie’s ecosystem and buffer wetland ecosystems from adjacent development.
• An 86-acre acquisition to the Upper Dry Gulch Natural Area Preserve in Chelan County to preserve rare plant habitat and provide potential education access for schools and the public.
Funding for these land acquisitions came through the Washington state Legislature primarily by way of Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program grants from the Washington state Recreation and Conservation Office.
DNR’s Natural Areas program manages a total of 169,000 acres of conservation lands across the state, according to the release.
“Natural Area Preserves protect the best remaining examples of many ecological communities, including rare plant and animal habitat,” the release stated. “Natural Resources Conservation Areas protect outstanding examples of native ecosystems, habitat for endangered, threatened and sensitive plants and animals, and scenic landscapes, while allowing for environmental education and low-impact public use where compatible with conservation.”
To learn more about the DNR’s Natural Areas program along with the preserves and conservation areas it manages, visit https://www.dnr.wa.gov/managed-lands/natural-areas.
