Duckabush Mid-Reach Preserve
We’re celebrating a great success for wildlife on the Duckabush River this winter! Local sculptor Mark Fissler and his family worked with Jefferson Land Trust and our partners to protect 15 acres of their longtime family land in the middle reaches of the Duckabush River as a permanent wildlife reserve we are calling Duckabush Mid-Reach Preserve.
Mark and his son have enjoyed this spot on the Duckabush for over 27 years, developing a deep connection to the land. “The river has been a sanctuary where we have come, as often as needed, to shed any stress, anxiety, and discontentment that may exist in our lives, by merely being in the present, in the moment, and absorbing the river’s natural healing abilities,” Mark said.
“I have come to know the river and the land that surrounds it very well, and feel as though a unique bond between us has developed, similarly to one of a life-long friend. I have also learned so much about its ecosystem, vegetation, and wildlife that has helped me in viewing nature as a spiritual guide in understanding my role here on earth. I am so grateful to know that Jefferson Land Trust was there as an option to protect this magical place, and give me the peace of mind that my dear friend will be looked after with a kind heart and giving hands,” he said.
Yes – those are all salmon!
Duckabush Mid-Reach Preserve is a meaningful addition to the preservation of this river system. This land is directly across the river from the Land Trust’s Duckabush Riparian Forest Preserve, and only a stone’s throw from Duckabush Oxbow and Wetlands Preserve – contributing to a protected corridor for animals like salmon, bear, bobcat, cougar and the many others that make their homes here.
Jefferson Land Trust has been working with Jefferson County, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, the Trust for Public Land, the Navy and other partner
organizations and agencies to protect and restore important salmon habitat and working forestland along the Duckabush River for decades. Jefferson Land Trust purchased the new preserve from Mark and his family with funds from Washington’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board, in a project collaboration with the Navy’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program.
Now that this land is protected, we have some restoration planned. In the months to come, Jefferson Land Trust will remove building debris and plant new trees and shrubs to bring the land back to a state of natural health.
