Willits Tree Farm Conservation Easement

Conserved in 2005

Property Overview:

• 54 acres located on the northern end of the Steamboat Island Peninsula, north of Olympia in Thurston County.
• This property lies adjacent to another conservation easement also donated by Ward and Rita Willits in 1998 (Willits Conservation Easement), providing a combined 111 acres of contiguous habitat.
• The conservation easement allows the Willits to manage the land for sustainable timber and forest product harvest while enhancing wildlife habitat. The property also includes a small stream which drains into Sanderson Cove estuary in northern Eld Inlet.
• The diverse wildlife protected by the conservation easement include migratory and resident songbirds and waterfowl, herons, bald eagles, pileated woodpeckers, black bear, coyote, black-tailed deer, raccoon, and many other species.

Thank you to the following partners:

• Ward and Rita Willits

CLT Strategic Conservation Goal Achieved:

• Conserve wetlands, riparian areas, and associated upland forests.
• Conserve working lands.

This easement was donated by former CLT board member Ward Willits and his wife, Rita Willits. The land is adjacent to an existing 65-acre conservation easement they donated in 1998. Surface water from these properties, filtered by forests and wetlands, drains to the Sanderson Cove estuary. The Willits Tree Farm easement marks a new venture for the Land Trust. The terms of the easement allow the Willits to manage the land for sustainable timber and forest product harvest, while working to enhance wildlife habitat. Habitat enhancements will include removing invasive species, creating snags for cavity-nesting birds and other wildlife, restoring wetland areas, and managing the health and diversity of forest species.