New federal grants helping restore and protect coastal wetlands
Dewatto Estuary
Feb. 2 marked World Wetlands Day 2025, highlighting the indispensable contributions wetlands make toward building resilience to global climate change, sustaining the planet’s biodiversity, and contributing to the well-being of the world’s human populace.
World Wetlands Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the vital role wetlands play in sustaining life. Throughout the centuries, human civilizations have relied on wetlands for sustenance, inspiration, and resilience. This year we are reminded of the shared responsibility to protect these ecosystems.
The future of our wetlands is intertwined with the future of humanity. By prioritizing their conservation and restoration, we secure benefits for ecosystems, economies, and communities worldwide.
Ecology's wetland program's goal is to achieve a no-net loss in the amount and functions of Washington’s remaining wetlands. We aim to increase the quantity and quality of the state’s wetlands resource base.
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant program is a competitive grant matching program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire, restore, and enhance wetlands located in U.S. coastal states and trust territories. Through the years, we have received more than $87 million in federal wetland conservation grants, allowing us to conserve more than 16,000 acres of coastal wetlands in Washington.
While only states can apply for the wetland conservation grants, we work in partnership with land trusts, local and Tribal governments, and other entities to restore and protect coastal wetlands. This year, we received nearly $6 million in federal coastal wetland conservation grants to protect and restore seven wetland projects in Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, and Skagit Counties.
Our partners at State Parks and the Department of Natural Resources were also awarded grants through the federal program to protect and restore four other coastal wetland projects in Washington.
Dewatto Estuary protection
We received a $1 million grant and are helping Great Peninsula Conservancy acquire and permanently protect 240 acres and 1.23 miles of marine shoreline in Dewatto Estuary located along the Hood Canal in Mason County. The Dewatto site presents a rare opportunity to protect a large estuary that’s nearly intact. The property includes a salt marsh and provides habitat for many threatened and endangered species including chum and Chinook salmon, marbled murrelets, and bocaccio and canary rockfish.
Double Bluff acquisition
In partnership with Whidbey Camano Land Trust, we received $1 million to acquire and permanently protect 257 acres of Puget Sound shoreline located in southwest Whidbey Island in Island County. The iconic Double Bluff property includes 3,500 feet of shoreline as well as 42 acres of marine habitat, including coastal tidelands, bluffs, and beaches. The property also contains 137 acres of upland forest and a 78-acre wetland. Double Bluff supports Chinook, coho, pink, and chum salmon as well as western toads, pileated woodpeckers, and peregrine falcons.
Double Bluff. Photo courtesy of Mark Gaggia.
East Tarboo wildlife preserve
After receiving a $995,000 federal grant, we are working with the Northwest Watershed Institute to permanently protect 81 acres along Tarboo Creek in Jefferson County. The project is part of a long-term conservation effort to protect critical ecosystems in Tarboo Creek and Dabob Bay. This project will help preserve a critical wetland and wildlife corridor, including aquatic habitats essential for coastal fish, such as salmon, and various other wildlife species. The project will also protect water quality in Dabob Bay supporting shellfish beds for four Tribes, the public, and the shellfish aquaculture industry.
Enetai shoreline protection
We received a $1 million grant and are working with Great Peninsula Conservancy to take advantage of a rare opportunity to protect a large, diverse, and functional shoreline wetland system near Puget Sound’s major population centers in Kitsap County. The Enetai project involves acquiring and permanently protecting 24.8 acres of wetland and riparian forest as well as 1,548 feet of marine shoreline in central Puget Sound. The project will protect important feeder bluff habitat that supplies important sediments to area shorelines and estuarine wetlands.
Samish Bay slough protection
We received a $457,000 coastal wetlands conservation grant and we’re working in partnership with Skagit Land Trust to acquire and conserve 1.6 acres and 430 feet of marine shoreline along Samish Bay in northern Skagit County. The slough is located on the Samish Island isthmus between Padilla and Samish bays. The property once connected the two bays before dikes were constructed about a century ago. The project includes the historic channel entrance to Samish Bay, considered the critical missing piece needed to restore and reconnect the two bays. The property serves as a key link for restoring surrounding coastal wetland areas already protected by the land trust and Ecology’s Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Samish River wetlands acquisition and restoration
After securing a $479,000 federal grant, we are working with our partners at Skagit Land Trust to permanently protect 26 acres and 1,750 feet of shoreline along the Samish River in Skagit County. The project will help improve water quality and protect and restore forests and wetlands on the property. The restoration project will also safeguard sensitive habitats for the Oregon spotted frog as well as coho and chum salmon and coastal cutthroat and steelhead trout.
Sound View Camp coastal habitat restoration
We received a $1 million grant and are working with the Nisqually Land Trust to restore coastal and nearshore habitat at Sound View Camp, a 93-acre property on Drayton Passage in Pierce County. The project will entail removing creosote-treated pilings, ramps, and other pier infrastructure as well as a concrete bulkhead, building foundation, and wooden float debris. In addition, the land trust will remove invasive plant species and replace them with native vegetation to restore the beach and nearshore areas. The property will be used to showcase coastal conservation and restoration in Puget Sound.
Sound View Camp coastal habitat
Wetlands: What you can do
This year, we urge everyone to take part in safeguarding Washington’s wetlands. Here’s how you can contribute:
Make sustainable choices
Avoid polluting wetlands by using eco-friendly products and disposing of waste responsibly.
Conserve water and adopt environmentally conscious practices in your daily life.
Join conservation efforts
Support organizations and policies that prioritize wetland preservation.
Collaborate with local communities to implement sustainable management practices.
Participate in restoration projects
Volunteer to restore degraded wetlands by planting native vegetation, removing invasive species, and monitoring water quality.
Let’s renew our commitment to protect wetlands for a sustainable future. Together, we can ensure wetlands continue to thrive for generations to come.
