FAQs

shady Clark County creekbed with gentle flow of water, trees, dense shrubs and native rhododendron
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Clark County is fortunate to have almost 80,000 acres of natural areas that are managed by public agencies for natural resources and recreation. Major landowners include the Washington Department of Natural Resources (60,000 acres), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (3,067 acres), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (6,243 acres), the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (1,239 acres), and local parks departments (7,433 acres).

Clark County Legacy Lands has protected 5,420 acres throughout the county using the conservation futures funds.

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The program works with public agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, private landowners and the community to establish, restore, and maintain an interconnected system of parks, natural areas, trails and open spaces that:

  • Contributes to our tourism and local economy
  • Preserves natural areas for wildlife habitat and recreation
  • Enhances our air and water quality
  • Promotes health, fitness and personal well-being
  • Connects our communities with trails and greenways
  • Supports an ecologically sustainable metropolitan region
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Lands with highly valued habitat, scenic corridors, low-impact recreation, farm and forest lands and other qualities that enhance our local environment are purchased and protected by the Legacy Lands Program. Visit our website for locations of lands open for public access.

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Current priorities are identified in the Natural Areas Acquisition Plan 2022-2027 adopted by the Clark County Council in April 2022.

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Resources from a variety of public agencies and non-profit conservation organizations are pooled to achieve Legacy Lands objectives. The primary county revenue source is the Conservation Futures levy. The county has also been very successful in securing grant funds. Since the levy was initiated in 1985, every dollar of local funds has been matched by approximately 80 cents of grant funding.

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We encourage you to contact the Parks and Lands Division about next steps regarding accessing your land and if the property fits conservation needs or program goals.  You can reach us at 564.397.2446 or email us at PWConservation@clark.wa.gov

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“Master Plans” or management plans are adopted for major conservation landholdings. They identify the management objectives for the property and the public access and use improvements that will be constructed when resources are available.

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In most cases, yes, the public is free to walk the sites for passive recreational activities such as hiking, wildlife viewing and nature photography. Some sites currently do not have a designated access point without crossing private property. In those instances, we ask the public to respect private property rights. In some instances, the property contains critical habitat for species protection and may have limited access.

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It is unlawful for any person while on park property to:

Hunt, purse, trap, kill, injure or molest any wildlife or disturb their habitats is not permitted on County Parks and Lands properties.  See Clark County Code 9.05.060 Animals and birds.

Take any fish from the waters of any park, except in conformity with the rules and regulations of the State Fisheries Commissioner