Dabob Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area to Expand 3,943 Acres!
The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced it will expand the Dabob Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA) by approximately 3,943 acres, per Commissioner’s Order 202422 signed on September 23rd. The expansion includes state forest lands and private lands with associated wetlands, streams, and marine shorelines. During the public comment period in June, Washington Wild brought together 31 conservation organizations in a joint comment letter supporting DNR’s proposal.
Aerial view of state forest along the east shore of Dabob Bay on the Toandos Peninsula now protected as part of the expanded Dabob Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area. Photo credit: John Gussman
The Dabob Bay Natural Area was established in 1984 to protect rare examples of intact salt marsh and sand spit plant communities within one of Washington’s highest functioning coastal spit and tidal wetland systems. With a wide range of habitats—mature coastal forests, coastal streams, feeder bluffs, forage fish spawning areas, eelgrass beds, native Olympia oyster beds, nearshore tidelands, mudflats, and open marine waters—the area is rich in biodiversity.
“Dabob Bay is a unique and special landscape, and I am incredibly happy to protect and preserve public lands there so that future generations get to enjoy its beauty and ecological importance,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “This further expansion is a testament to years of hard work from stakeholders and staff to find a solution that protects these rare ecosystems while still supporting local services in east Jefferson County.”
Photo: Justin Lotak
By improving habitat connectivity, the expansion will promote ecosystem health throughout Puget Sound, support the local shellfish industry, and protect treaty-reserved resources for four Tribes. The proposed boundary expansion includes over 2,600 acres of state trust forestlands, including 910 acres of older forest, much of which has been identified by DNR’s Natural Heritage Program as a globally imperiled forest plant association that is a high priority for conservation.
“Expansion of the Dabob Bay Natural Area boundary will protect two different types of older forests on state land classified as globally imperiled by DNR’s Natural Heritage Program, as well as important marine shorelines, wetlands, and stream habitats around the bay.” —Peter Bahls, Director of the Northwest Watershed Institute
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The proposed expansion has enjoyed strong stakeholder support since 2020 when a coalition of regional and statewide conservation groups, shellfish growers, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe urged DNR to expand the Dabob Bay Natural Area along the boundary lines now proposed. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners added their support in August 2023, after a statewide effort revitalized the Trust Land Transfer Program.
Now that the expansion is official, those stakeholders are celebrating. “I appreciate DNR’s leadership in taking this step and look forward to working together in the future,” said Heidi Eisenhour, Jefferson County Commissioner. Bill Taylor, owner of Taylor Shellfish adds, “The expansion will help protect Dabob Bay’s excellent water quality for the shellfish industry, the largest employer in south Jefferson County.”
