Chelan-Douglas Land Trust acquires Spiva Butte Nature Preserve

MANSFIELD – A nearly 1,400-acre tract of land north of Mansfield and described as some of the most pristine shrub-steppe habitats left in Washington was recently purchased by the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT).

CDLT acquired the 1,396-acre Spiva Butte Nature Preserve that is considered critical habitat for one of the last remaining sage grouse populations in the state.

“With its three springs, four-acre Crosetto Lake, and miles of riparian corridors, the healthy habitat of the Preserve is home to an amazing diversity of birds, wildlife and plants,” said a statement on www.cdlandstust.org, the non-profit’s website. “The primary stewardship goal for this property is to protect and maintain high-quality wildlife habitat.”

Mansfield Mayor Tom Snell said he is aware of the property but knew little about it.

“The land around it is not suitable for farming,” Snell said, adding that there was little or no public access to the area.

Spiva Butte’s former owner, Ferdi Businger, a Skagit County resident, explains in a letter posted on the North Cascades Audubon Society website (www.northcascadesaudubon.org) in February 2018, how he first became acquainted with the site, raised the funds to purchase it, and sold it – for $44,000 less than he paid for it - to the CDLT as that group’s first acquisition.

The CDLT is a local non-profit that works with property owners and communities to identify and protect some of the region’s most critical natural areas. For more information about CDLT visit its website at www.celandtrust.org.