The Lands Council Programs
Our Beaver Solution project is working with the Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, two National Wildlife Refuges and private property owners to restore beaver in eastern Washington. Beavers will recreate wetlands, store water and help fisheries. Our extensive restoration efforts are now taking place along important degraded tributaries in Eastern Washington.
Our Urban Ecology program includes the following components: Urban Forestry (enhancing Spokane’s tree canopy, restoring degraded lands, and building knowledge, awareness, and an appreciation of the urban forest on the part of the community); Project SUSTAIN (an effort to get kids outside, learning, and doing community service projects aimed at increasing environmental stewardship among our community’s youth); Environmental Health (educating our community about toxics in the river and toxics in the home); Complete Streets (promoting smart growth, progressive transportation planning, and healthier, more active lifestyles in Spokane); and Low Impact Development (encouraging sustainable building and ecologically-sensitive urban design).
Our Forest Watch program has evolved and we are leaders in the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, which includes timber, conservation, recreation and rural leaders. This coalition is improving management and proposing Wilderness on the Colville National Forest. We are working with our US Senator and Congresswoman to achieve our goals.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
With a goal of making sure that the science behind beaver ecology is translated into policy through the development of a statewide beaver management plan, TLC was recently successful in getting HB 2349 passed and signed by Governor Gregoire in March of 2012! The natural work of beaver has an immensely positive impact on bird populations by creating wetland habitat that waterfowl use for nesting and brood-rearing habitat, and as stopover sites during migration.
We welcome support of our efforts to solicit sponsorship money to help fund field trips and community service projects for needy high school and middle school science classes in order to enhance environmental stewardship among youth in our community! Our Project SUSTAIN has worked with close to 500 local students in getting them outside, learning and participating about ways to protect and restore our environment. We need funding to keep these important field trips alive in our schools.