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WDFW presents 21-property Lands 20/20 slate covering 59,485 acres for director review
Summary
WDFW staff briefed the commission on the Lands 20/20 slate of 21 proposed projects totaling 59,485 acres across all six regions of Washington, summarizing process steps, public review (105 comments), habitat values and funding pathways; commissioners asked about prioritization, climate risk and funding mechanics.
WDFW staff presented the department’s annual Lands 20/20 slate on Dec. 12, describing 21 proposed projects totaling 59,485 acres that staff will pursue for potential acquisition or conservation easements pending director approval and funding.
Kevin Connolly, lands division manager, and Matthew Trenda, real estate services manager, described Lands 20/20 as a 20-year-old public vetting process that brings potential fee acquisitions, conservation easements and donations through a scoping and needs review before staff seek director approval to pursue funding. Trenda said the department prioritizes long-term ecological value, recreation and stewardship cost considerations and generally seeks willing sellers.
Lisa Kaufman, Lands 20/20 coordinator, reviewed the schedule (application opening May 28; applications due July 28; tech and funding reviews, tribal preview and public comment period) and reported that public review generated 105 comments, including four negative responses. She said this cycle includes properties from every region and ranges from small parcels adjacent to hatcheries and public access sites to very large in-holdings and conservation easements.
Examples cited by staff: Grayland (Grays Harbor County, 98 acres adjacent to Johns River Wildlife Area), a 1.99-acre parcel adjacent to George Adams Fish Hatchery to support operational access, Chimacum Cascades (0.12 acres), Upper Pine Creek (4,445 acres conservation easement in Klickitat County), a potential 45,000-acre Simcoe West corridor, Skamatkawa Creek (100 acres conservation easement to protect juvenile salmonids), Umtaynam Ridge (Kittitas County, ~3,451 acres) and Grouse Flats (2,440 acres linking wildlife areas).
Commission discussion focused on how projects move from the Lands 20/20 slate to funded acquisitions. Staff clarified that projects are not ranked against each other during this vetting step; once director approval allows pursuit of funding, properties compete within the specific grant programs staff target. Trenda said staff typically pursue multiple state and federal grant streams and try to position projects to be competitive in appropriate categories; the Lands 20/20 listing remains valid for up to six years.
Commissioners also asked about climate-change considerations. Trenda said applicants complete a climate-change appendix that addresses climate risks to species/habitat on site, risks to site infrastructure and the degree to which the site contributes to landscape-scale adaptive capacity. Recent flooding events have informed the department’s considerations but have not fundamentally changed the program’s criteria, he said.
Staff noted substantive partner support, including letters from conservation organizations, and said the next step is director review; the director must approve staff pursuit of funding before any acquisition offers are made.
Why this matters: Lands 20/20 creates a publicly transparent pipeline for conservation acquisitions and access projects; the slate presented covers a wide geographic range and several habitat types, and decisions later in the funding process will determine which properties the department is able to acquire or place under easement.
