The state Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on a proposed boundary expansion for Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve.
As part of the process, a meeting will be held Wednesday night to take public comment.
The proposed expansion has been recommended by the Washington State Natural Heritage Advisory Council, a citizen review panel that helps to guide the agency’s conservation programs.
Privately-owned land within the proposed boundary would be acquired for natural areas management by purchase from a willing seller. Lands purchased within the boundary would be owned by the state and managed by the department as part of Mima Mounds NAP.
In the case of Mima Mounds, a single, private landowner owns the roughly 100-acre parcel and is supportive of this proposal.
After the hearing, the program will submit a boundary recommendation for review by the commissioner of public lands, who may accept, modify or reject the proposal.
The Mima Mounds preserve was created in 1976 to protect rare examples of mima mound landforms and Puget prairie grasslands. The 637-acre site includes a small Garry oak woodland and savannah, and also supports a variety of prairie dependent butterflies and birds, and Douglas fir forest. Some of the butterflies found in the area include the red admiral, spring azure, woodland skipper and western tiger swallowtail. In 1966, the National Park Service designated Mima Mounds a National Natural Landmark, one of only 17 landmarks found in the state.
The department manages 54 natural area preserves statewide. The preserves are meant to protect high-quality examples of native ecosystems, and rare plant and animal species. They also serve as genetic reserves for Washington’s native species and as reference sites for comparing natural and altered environments, according to the agency’s website.
More information about the Natural Areas Program can be found at dnr.wa.gov.
Get involved
Meeting
What: Public hearing on proposed expansion of Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve boundary. Before the hearing begins, a brief review of the boundary proposal will be presented by program staff along with a brief overview of natural area designation and management.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Littlerock Fire Station, 10928 Littlerock Road S.W., Littlerock
To comment
Written testimony: Must be received by DNR at 5 p.m. Feb. 10. It should be sent to: Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Pacific Cascade Region, ATTN: Mima Mounds Boundary Hearing, PO Box 280, Castle Rock WA 98611-0280.
By email: Send comments to roberta.davenport@dnr.wa.gov with the subject line “Mima Mounds Boundary Hearing.”
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