“I have always assumed this land belongs to the river,” says local landowner Michael Knapp, who is partnering with Skagit Land Trust to permanently protect 18.6 acres of rich salmon and forest habitat along the Sauk River. This pending Conservation Easement (CE) lies in a valley originally carved by eruptions from the Glacier Peak volcano. Today, the Sauk -- one of the longest undammed rivers in the Pacific Northwest -- continues that work. The river flows through the CE in two active side channels, one of which floods almost every year, refreshing the soil and nurturing a lush web of life for Chinook salmon and other species.
Landowner Michael Knapp and SLT Conservation Project Manager Jessica Lange examine one of the new easement’s Sauk River side channels.
Located just a mile south of Skagit County, this will be the Trust’s first CE in Snohomish County. The property lies at the heart of a biologically rich corridor between two sections of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Skagit Land Trust, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy, and the City of Seattle protect adjacent and nearby lands. The new CE adds to and connects other conserved land in this area, helping to secure a wildlife corridor for animals moving through the upper Skagit watershed.
Changing vine maple leaves signal the arrival of fall to the forested floodplain of the new CE.
The forest canopy of towering western hemlock and red cedar shares space with big leaf maple, vine maple, and black cottonwood. Beneath them grows a thriving understory of sword fern, snowberry, and salmonberry, providing year-round food and shelter for wildlife. Deer, elk, coyote, black bear, and Douglas squirrel have all been spotted here. Beavers build and rebuild their dams along the river channels, creating habitat for countless other species – from cavity-nesting birds to rearing salmon fry. The Sauk River supports Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink, bull trout, salmon, and both summer and winter steelhead.
The undamned Sauk River is a critical salmon and steelhead river and is popular for fishing.
The conservation easement, which is partially funded by WA State’s Recreation and Conservation Office’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board, will ensure there will never be development on the property’s natural areas. Landowner Michael Knapp is also donating a portion of the easement’s value. An avid hiker and trail builder, Knapp has cared for this property for decades, creating footpaths that connect to neighboring public lands and to the mainstem Sauk River. Thanks to his decision to protect the land in perpetuity, this lovely riparian forest will remain a living legacy for generations to come. “I am just a steward,” says Knapp, “I’m so glad that Skagit Land Trust can carry on this stewardship long after I’m gone.”
Skagit Land Trust will pay for the monitoring and enforcement of the easement going forward. This ongoing protection is made possible by the dedication of our members and donors, whose support extends the reach of conservation one acre at a time. Thank you for building lasting connections – between rivers and forests, people and place – that help to keep special spaces like this one forever wild.