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The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Trust for Public Land and the USFWS National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program permanently protected 179 acres in fee acquisition and conservation easement by expanding the Old Fort Townsend State Park in Jefferson County, Washington. Habitats protected by the Glen Cove acquisition include palustrine wetlands, estuarine intertidal wetlands, marine nearshore, and associated uplands. A diversity of shorebirds, waterfowl, wetland and riparian associated neotropical migrants, raptors, fish and mammals will benefit from protection of the eelgrass beds, mudflats, forested uplands, and feeder bluffs on the property. The nearshore habitat benefits the threatened Puget Sound steelhead and summer chum salmon. This protection will also insure continued availability of forage habitat for resident killer whales in Port Townsend Bay. State Parks anticipates using the property for light recreation, like trail walking and wildlife viewing. A conservation easement placed on additional 187 acres of forest immediately west of the fee acquisition provides a buffer between Old Fort Townsend State Park and the Port Townsend Paper Company. The 179-acre acquisition protects6 6 acres of tidelands including approximately • 25 acres of contiguous native species eel grass beds in the tidelands; • 113 acres of lowland Northwestern maritime forest; • 8,200 linear feet of feeder bluffs; • 8,560 linear feet of Puget Sound shoreline. By expanding the park, State Parks eliminates the threat of development and impacts resulting from development on the 179 acres. Sensitive habitat features including feeder bluffs, eel grass beds, forage fish spawning beach, and shellfish beds retain natural form and function in perpetuity. The diverse landscape at Glen Cove presented opportunities to conserve land critical to the health of Puget Sound: eelgrass, beds forage fish spawning area, shellfish beaches, and feeder bluffs. Eelgrass Beds Eelgrass beds, a biologically rich yet, regionally declining wetland habitat, provide food, refuge, and spawning habitat for a multitude of marine organisms. The eelgrass beds at Glen Cove cover much of the tidal and subtidal acres with dense mass of grass. The high-quality eelgrass is essential to the health of the cove providing: • Spawning ground for herring and forage fish • Food and shelter for migrating salmon • Refuge for crabs and other invertebrates • Collecting algae to feed salmon and invertebrates • Catchment for micro-organisms that are base of the food chain • Base of the Puget Sound food web Shellfish Tidelands Several recreationally important clam species are also common in Glen Cove. The intertidal gravel habitat is used by native littlenecks and Manila clams. During low tide, numerous “shows” (dimples in the sand where clam necks are visible) of horse clams were visible. Also the WDFW data maps indicate subtidal geoduck beds near the outer portion of the property. State Parks ownership will make these resources available to the public during the established harvest seasons. Feeder Bluffs At Glen Cove, the slope and condition of the bank ranges from bluffs (30 to 60 ft high) with very steep banks near the state park beach access, to moderate or low slope hillsides at the north end of the property. The bank substrate consisted primarily of compact sand, which feeds the beach area with new sediment during high water and active wave conditions. Forested Shorelines North of the bluff, trees extend down to the shoreline and out over the water. At the far end of the property, lower shoreline slumping and erosion allowed coniferous trees to fall into the intertidal area. These trees provide cover habitat for fish using the nearshore, shading areas at high tide, and contribute LWD to the marine environment which are important for maintaining natural nearshore marine conditions. Where the shoreline is stable, it consists primarily of coniferous trees such as Douglas fir. In less stable areas where slides have occurred, the shoreline includes shrubs and deciduous trees, primarily alder. Along most of its length, the beach has a moderate abundance of LWD. Some LWD is quite large, ranging up to 6 feet in diameter. The large diameter pieces protect the bank from erosion and increase habitat diversity, both important conditions for maintaining natural nearshore conditions. Support to Nearby Restoration The tidelands proposed for acquisition provide habitat for chum and coho from Chimacum Creek. Juvenile fish from Chimicum Creek migrate to Glen Cove shoreline for protection and food. A major restoration project has focused on re-establishing native summer chum and coho salmon runs at Chimacum Creek located approximately 1 mile south of the of Glen Cove. In 1999, the year of federal listing, 39 fish returned to spawn in the creek. Spawning numbers have steadily risen, and in 2006 more than 2,000 fish returned to Chimacum Creek, 60% of which are naturally spawning stock. Protecting the nearshore habitats at Glen Cove directly support the Chimacum Creek salmon populations, as the salmon depend on this habitat during multiple life stages. Support Self-sustaining Ecological Processes The bluffs, shoreline and tideflats are virtually intact. Large woody debris and pocket palustrine emergent and forested wetlands protect the toe of the bluff. The current owners excluded public use of the tidelands. A healthy forest on the uplands, again with no public access, ensures little resource disturbance. State Park ownership of the uplands and tidelands will ensure the property condition remains continuously capable of retaining these attributes.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Trust for Public Land and the USFWS National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program permanently protected 179 acres in fee acquisition and conservation easement by expanding the Old Fort Townsend State Park in Jefferson County, Washington. Habitats protected by the Glen Cove acquisition include palustrine wetlands, estuarine intertidal wetlands, marine nearshore, and associated uplands. A diversity of shorebirds, waterfowl, wetland and riparian associated neotropical migrants, raptors, fish and mammals will benefit from prote...