SW by Conservation NW

The time has arrived for southwest Washington to come out of the conservation shadows.

Long eclipsed by the Cascade Mountains, the Olympic Mountains, the Washington coast, Puget Sound, and the Columbia River Gorge, the interior of Washington's southwest region missed out on many important conservation designations. It lacks a snow-capped volcano, and the Chehalis River looks far less imposing than the Columbia, so instead of being set aside for protection, it was carved up by the timber industry.

A view of Minot Peak in the Willapa Hills
from the Chehalis River Basin.

Now, at long last, this region's important role in Washington's ecosystem has taken center stage because Conservation Northwest has launched its Cascades to Olympics program. At first glance of the title, the program appears to once again emphasize the state's charismatic features, but the less celebrated southwest region sits at the core of this project.

Cascades to Olympics prioritizes the future of the Chehalis River, the placing of wildlife crossings on Interstate 5 and Highway 12, and the commitment to conservation and restoration projects throughout the region. The key to all of this is the recognition of southwest Washington's ability to connect the Cascades and the Olympics. Such an approach takes a more comprehensive view of habitat, species movement, and ecosystems. All told, along with recent news about preserving parts of Grays Harbor County and stopping the dam on the Chehalis River, the Cascades to Olympics program indicates a new commitment to protecting an often overlooked part of Washington. For more information about Cascades to Olympics, click here.

As someone who hails from southwest Washington, I couldn't be happier that it is finally getting the attention it deserves from the conservation movement.