Near one of the northernmost tips of Thurston County lies a small estuary that’s been identified as high priority for conservation.
Baird Cove, an 87-acre pocket estuary on Johnson Point, was recently acquired by the Nisqually Land Trust and will now be permanently protected. Located just south of Zittel’s Marina, the estuary is a habitat for out-migrating juvenile salmon and was listed in Puget Sound salmon recovery plans as a vital natural area, according to a news release from the Nisqually Land Trust.
The acquisition includes 4,200 feet of marine shoreline, 2 miles of forested stream shoreline and 50 acres of coastal wetland habitat, according to the release. It was purchased from private landowners, the Manke family, for $1.9 million using federal funding from the National Wetland Coastal Conservation Grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agency, as well as funds from the Department of Ecology, Thurston Conservation Futures funding, and the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
Thurston County Commission vice chair Tye Menser said in the release he was happy the project received so much support.
“Baird Cove is critical to fish habitat, wildlife, and bird populations, including many state and federal listed species,” Menser said. “This project invests in mitigating our environmental impact and balancing development with the preservation of our rural character.”
Eric Erler, the lead project manager and consultant for the land trust’s Marine Conservation Initiative, said these projects can only be successful if landowners are willing to work with them, and he thanked the Manke’s for doing so.
Jeanette Dorner, Nisqually Land Trust’s executive director, said there aren’t many opportunities left in the Nisqually Reach to protect areas like Baird Cove.
Willie Frank III, chairman of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, said he and the tribe’s partners are thankful to the landowners for working with them, especially knowing that their choice to sell benefits the environment, even though it might not be the most “popular or lucrative path.”
