Protecting Healthy Land and Water

The Methow Valley is a sight to behold. It is a place to soothe the soul. A place where wildlife can roam free. A place where farmers still grow food and families raise kids who know nature. It is a place where diverse people knit their lives together around a shared love for the landscape. It is a place to seek solitude and refuel the human spirit. Whatever the Methow Valley means to you, the Methow Conservancy is here to help all people recognize that together we must care for a Valley this inspiring.

Goldeneye Reflection
Goldeneye by Jason Paulsen

A Place Worth Protecting:
The one million-acre Methow Watershed, just east of the North Cascades and west of the Columbia River, is one of the few remaining places in the lower 48 states where people still share space with most of the historical wildlife. It is home to hundreds of wildlife species, including over 40 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife priority habitats and species, 11 of which are state or federally listed as threatened or endangered.

In addition to its breathtaking beauty, the Methow Valley supports a number of working landscapes—with active farms, ranches and orchard still run by mulit-generational families.

Coon3
A Twisp River Conservation Easement by Mary Kiesau

Our Approach:
We believe rural communities like the Methow Valley can find a balance between growth and conservation. This means working with the towns to find thoughtful places for growth while permanently protecting the best wildlife habitat, fertile soils, and scenic views that make this Valley the Methow Valley.

To date, we have protected 10,500 acres of the best habitat and agricultural ground in the Methow Valley. This includes more than 32 miles of shoreline along the Methow River and its tributaries.

We have historically worked with conservation easements as our tool for land protection. Conservation easements are permanent legal agreements that keep the land in private hands and on the tax rolls but ensure that the special features of the property are protected forever.

“Conservation doesn’t happen by accident and hope alone won’t get the job done. Together we can choose how the Methow Valley will endure.”

— Jason Paulsen, Executive Director

Inspiring people to care for the land of the Methow Valley since 1996.

Join Team Methow Conservancy and support conservation work in the Methow Valley!