This 2,666-acre property features priority oak and pine woodland habitat above the Wild and Scenic Klickitat River in south-central Washington. It is the first of three planned phases to conserve 8,000 acres of intact, connected, ecologically and culturally important Oregon white oak habitat over the next few years. Conservation of this site fills a major gap in a 30-mile corridor of protected lands between the Columbia River and the Yakama Indian Reservation—significantly advancing the Tribe’s goal of reconnecting the reservation to the river.
The parcel is also a strategic link that connects terrestrial migration and dispersal corridors and hosts some of the highest quality Oregon white oak habitat in the state, on which at least 15 priority wildlife species depend. The Klickitat region has as much as 90 percent of the state’s remaining oaks and is an area where they are anticipated to expand under climate change and contribute to much-needed climate resilience. This project responds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 3 Billion Bird challenge by providing critical habitat along the Pacific Flyway for resident and migratory birds.
Klickitat Oaks, Phase 1 conserves open space, protecting public access to large forest tracts, and preserving land management contracting opportunities for local businesses. The watershed is cited as one of the state’s most popular birding destinations by Washington Audubon and is along the Great Washington State Birding Trail.
