Save the West Bay Woods

We, the citizens of Olympia and Thurston County, take pride in our environment and in a sustainable interface between our urban environment and the wilderness that is part of our historical and cultural heritage.

The West Bay Woods, including the watershed of Schneider Creek, are a critical wildlife corridor - nearly 1.5 miles long - that is home to the only heronry of the Pacific Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias fannini) in Olympia City limits, as well as to many other species including Cooper’s Hawks, Falcons, Deer, Coyotes, Red Fox, and many other small mammals, reptiles, and rodents.

As a community, we recognize that wildlife corridors are important components of sustainable growth that facilitate movement of individuals, through both dispersal and migration, so that gene flow and diversity are maintained into the future.

We further recognize that near-coastal woods, such as the West Bay Woods and the Schneider Creek basin, are critical habitat for important bridge species of concern such as the anadromous fish that currently live in Schneider Creek, and such as the Pacific Great Blue Heron who connect the West Bay Woods with the shoreline of Budd Bay, and the Deschutes River Estuary.

As a science-driven coalition, we recognize that the number of nesting sites for the Pacific Great Blue Heron is rapidly decreasing statewide due to development pressures, and we resolve to be a leader in their protection and preservation.