The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to acquire 9,600 acres in Lewis and Thurston counties. This is the Centralia Mine Property currently owned by TransAlta.
FACTS:
• Property will form a new wildlife area close to urban centers allowing users to connect with nature and benefit the local economy.
• Current diverse habitats support a variety of fish and wildlife including elk, deer, salmon, warmwater fish, and many others.
• Rare opportunity to manage a large landscape that allows room for creation or restoration of high-quality wildlife habitats such as wetlands and grasslands to benefit waterfowl, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, and fish.
• Potential to provide habitat for threatened or endangered species, including the western pond turtle, Oregon spotted frog, and streaked horned lark
• Adding public lands to the region would provide habitat connectivity from the Cascades to the forests of SW Washington.
More information can be found at this WDFW link:
Centralia Chronicle Articles:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yudqa-AoJ0RCd46Jxp3Q5lu9U7GYEqA3/view?usp=sharing
Politicians in Lewis County are opposing this proposed acquisition. A simple statement of support like the following would help the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approve this proposal at their meeting on March 25-27. We encourage you to add a personal remark as well.
Email Address: commission@nulldfw.wa.gov
Subject line: Support Lands 20/20 Proposal to Acquire Centralia-TransAlta Property.
Message: I support the proposed acquisition of the 9,600-acre Centralia-TransAlta Mine Property to provide public recreation, wildlife viewing, and habitat restoration for threatened and endangered species.
Also, verbal testimony may be given during the commission meeting as indicated on this webpage, https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings#upcoming. Check a week in advance on the meeting agenda for the specific time of this topic and public comment.
