Government Honors Man For Wetlands Restoration
Six years ago, Gunnar Holmquist convinced his mother to buy a Stevens County cow pasture and let him turn it into wildlife habitat.
Lavinia Holmquist dug into her retirement income and her son, a Spokane doctor, rolled up his sleeves. Nature rewarded them with the symphony of frogs, the antics of beaver, the gracefulness of deer.
Now Gunnar Holmquist has some formal human recognition. It’s a certificate declaring him runnerup in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Conservation Awards to the Private Sector.
“I’m really thrilled for my mom,” Holmquist said this month after the 1995 award finally made its way to the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, where it was presented to him.
Assistant refuge manager Kathleen Fulmer nominated Holmquist.
“They’re the only landowners I ever met who purchased property solely for restoring the wetlands,” said Fulmer, who helped with the restoration.
Gunnar Holmquist has put thousands of hours into improving the land. There are now 25 wetlands on the 140 acres. They range from shallow marshes to deep ponds where fish can survive in the winter.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department stocked cutthroat trout there. The cutthroat seem to be holding their own against the brook trout, a voracious fish that’s not native to this region, Holmquist said.
Less encouraging has been his effort to start a hardwood forest, which would cool the trout ponds and keep the canary grass from crowding out other plants.
More than 3,000 tree and 1,000 bush seedlings were planted. Few survived marauding deer and mice for more than a year.
“It’s rare to find one that’s growing, and even those that are growing are munched so severely I don’t know if they’ll survive in the long run,” Holmquist said.
He was delighted when beaver moved into the ponds, puzzled when they abruptly disappeared, encouraged when one moved back.
More consistently encouraging is the help he’s received from other people, including those who work for the government. The five permits he needed came through quickly.
Boise Cascade Corp., which owns adjacent land, agreed to deck its logs away from wet areas in order to protect habitat. Holmquist is especially pleased with company manager Orville Shaw, calling him “a terrific guy.”
Carlson Machine Works workers help maintain the aged crane Holmquist uses for digging ponds.
“They feel like they’re part of the project,” said Holmquist, who barters with owner Steve Carlson. The doctor gives blood pressure checks in exchange for parts.
Holmquist sees decades of work ahead at Betts Meadow. He’d like to find a graduate student to inventory species, “down to the algae.”
He’s also hoping the meadow will become part of the federal Wetland Reserve Program.
If it does, the Holmquists would grant a conservation easement. In exchange, they would be paid for the agricultural value of the land. The money would be spent to buy more habitat, Holmquist said.
The Wetland Reserve Program would permanently fend off development. That would be better protection than is provided by the family trust that was established for Betts Meadow. The trust leaves open the possibility that the Holmquists’ heirs might not share their passion for preservation.
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