JOYCE — A five-acre Salt Creek property west of Port Angeles owned by Coleman Byrnes and Sue Nattinger has been placed in a conservation easement by the North Olympic Land Trust.
A conservation agreement was accepted at the trust’s April 21 board meeting.
The land trust’s role will be making sure terms of the agreement — that benefits from protection include “wildlife habitat, plant habitat, groundwater recharge, open space and scenic” qualities — are preserved.
The property is within 3 miles of the Olympic National Park boundary “and the protected riparian habitat on the property provides essential habitat to wildlife that also use the national park,” according to the agreement.
Byrnes and Nattinger donated development and timber rights on their property, where they will continue to live. Salmon recovery funds administered by Clallam County covered costs related to establishing the agreement.
The Byrnes-Nattinger parcel is the fourth property North Olympic Land Trust is protecting in the Salt Creek watershed, bringing the total acres protected near that stream to 81.
