Washington officials seeking to connect habitat

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is taking comments on a package of proposed land acquisitions, including a large parcel at Grouse Flat in the southwestern corner of Asotin County and a small pond in Whitman County.

Known as the Grouse Flats Connection, the 2,440 acres of private rangeland and timberland divided in two separate blocks borders property already managed by the state agency, the U.S. Forest Service and other private landowners.

If the state purchases the property, it would partially fill a gap between the state managed Grouse Flat and 4-O Ranch pieces of the Blue Mountain Wildlife Area while also linking to the Umatilla National Forest. According to the department, Grouse Creek, which runs through the property, provides habitat for juvenile steelhead. The land also supports habitat for deer, elk, black bears and several species of birds.

The land is owned by Michael F. Burns and is accessible by Grouse Flat Road and Sheep Creek Road.

In July, Mike Kuttel Jr., director of the agency’s Spokane-based Eastern Region, said the land would provide a continuous corridor for elk and recreation on state-owned land.

Burns, of Brainbridge Island in Puget Sound, has owned the land for three decades. It was logged over when he and his brother purchased the property. It now has a mix of timberland and grassland.

It is one of 21 proposed acquisitions across the state totaling more than 60,400 acres. The agency is also looking to acquire 30 acres featuring Pampas Pond near LaCrosse in northern Whitman County. The site would provide recreational access.

More information is available at bit.ly/3WIK87R.