Washington DFW Closes Fir Island Birding Area While Restoring Skagit Bay Tidal Marsh

By Vanessa Torres

Washington -(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has closed public access to the Fir Island Farms Reserve, where work has begun to restore 131 acres of tidal marsh in the Skagit River Delta.

Heavy trucks are scheduled to begin moving dirt and materials next week as part of a two-year project to set back the existing mile-long dike to improve habitat for fish and wildlife, said Belinda Rotton, Skagit Wildlife Area Manager.

The popular birding area, purchased by the department as a snow-goose reserve in 1995, will be closed for construction through Oct. 7 of this year and from mid-May until mid-October in 2016, Rotton said.

“We apologize for the summer closures, but bird-watching and heavy construction just don’t mix,” Rotton said. “We plan to reopen the reserve by the time the snow geese return in October this year and next.”

The snow-goose reserve, part of WDFW’s 16,700 acre Skagit Wildlife Area, is located on the south end of Fir Island, about three miles from Conway.

Jenna Friebel, WDFW project manager, said …read more

Source:: AmmoLand