Issues & Action >

Create a conservation ethic for working lands.
Habitat loss is the greatest single threat to healthy bird and wildlife populations in Washington state and the country overall.

In many parts of our state, there are large tracts of wildland in conservation status but farms and working forests also serve as critical habitat during migration and as a means of survival in an ever-increasing urbanized environment. These working lands are part of the bird migration corridor, the Pacific Flyway, that stretches between Alaska and South America.

In 2008, Washington’s agricultural and forestry groups invited Audubon Washington to develop financial incentives, and negotiate new regulations and best management practices for wildlife, birds, farms, and timber lands.

Our strategy is to use Audubon’s State of the Birds scientific data during these negotiations to develop regulations, incentives and monitoring programs to maintain and increase habitat on Washington’s working timber and farm lands. Audubon Washington’s goal is to have wildlife habitat included in all working forests and farms.

Our success will be measured by achieving mutually agreed-upon legal and financial actions to maintain and increase habitat on agricultural and forest lands. Our toolkit includes “safe-harbor” agreements, conservation easements, and setbacks as buffers between natural and developed areas.