Conservation Northwest: This grant will help the Sagelands Heritage Program (SHP) protect and connect shrub-steppe landscapes of the Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington by building relationships and taking on-the-ground action to protect habitat and preserve connectivity so that an array of shrub-steppe species can adapt to a changing climate. The main focus of our work is a “Connected Backbone” of important habitat linkages that runs north-south to the east of the Cascade Mountains, including places such as Okanagan Mountain; the Tunk Valley; the Waterville Plateau; Moses Coulee; the Colockum, Wenas and other state wildlife areas; and lands on the Colville and Yakama reservations. A $25,000 grant from Keta Legacy Foundation will support fence removal efforts with partners in 2026 to support habitat connectivity and re-establish the healthy functions of the shrub-steppe ecosystem of the Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington.
