Bonaparte Meadows includes rare habitat.
Funds being raised for Bonaparte Meadows
Dedicated naturalists, botanists and birders from the Methow and beyond have been making the trek to Bonaparte Meadows to survey plants, birds and insects as part of a campaign to preserve a unique calcareous fen east of Tonasket.
If calcareous fens sound exotic, they really are — they’re among the least common habitats in the world. Mineral-rich wetlands with alkaline soil and water, they support rare plants and animals, according to the Okanogan Land Trust (OLT), which is conducting a fundraising campaign to purchase Bonaparte Meadows.
Calcareous fens require a unique combination of geology and groundwater to sustain the calcium-rich environment that supports unusually diverse and rare plants, said Julie Vanderwal, an ecological restoration practitioner who’s been working and recreating in the area for 16 years and is a partner in the fundraising campaign.
“These rare plants can only survive in the special kind of low-oxygen, low-nutrient, alkaline conditions found at Bonaparte Meadows,” said Vanderwal, who operates Sparrow Song Consulting in Twisp.
The peat soils there play a critical role in recharging the surrounding aquifer because they hold water when it’s plentiful and slowly release it during dry times, Vanderwal said. Peat soils don’t completely decompose but instead build up thick layers very slowly — about 1 millimeter per year — and clean and filter water.
Both bogs and fens are wet and squishy, but bogs hold rainwater, while fens have a steady flow of groundwater. Fens also store carbon below ground — in fact, peatland stores twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined, according to OLT.
OLT has an agreement to purchase the 745-acre property and is working to raise $1.5 million — half the total project cost — by the end of July. The property includes 265 acres of critical peat fen plus meadows, creeks, and shrub and willow habitat, OLT Executive Director Kate Miller said during a recent tour of the site. The $3 million would cover not only the costs of acquisition, but also create a stewardship fund to restore and protect the fen, she said.
There were indications that Bonaparte Meadows was a calcareous fen, but it wasn’t confirmed until last year, when a state specialist visited the site, said Josh Wozniak, a professional wetland scientist from the Methow who has visited the area four times to evaluate wetland conditions and hydrology. “Overall, it’s a spectacular, unique jewel — resilient and unique,” Wozniak said.
“A peat fen may not be the eighth wonder of the world, but it comes pretty darn close,” OLT said.
Unique plants and animals
Bonaparte Meadows and the fen are just south of Bonaparte Lake, a popular resort area with cabins and a U.S. Forest Service campground. There have been various plans for the site in the past, including creating a lake over the fen and lots for vacation homes. Peat was extracted from the site for commercial sale starting in the early 1980s, but mining at scale ended three years ago.
The diverse habitat supports a wide variety of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians, butterflies and plants, including some priority species. There are moose, elk and lynx and Columbia spotted frogs. Beaver activity has been observed in the area.
“I’m excited because this is perhaps the most significant conservation effort where we can make a difference — certainly in Okanogan County, but probably in all of Washington,” said Kent Woodruff, a biologist from the Methow who conducted a bird survey at Bonaparte Meadows in early June and will be going back to look for bats.
Woodruff was one of half a dozen birders who counted 78 species in a day. Uncommon birds included male poorwills doing mating calls, a Lincoln sparrow, and all three of Okanogan County’s teal species. They found a calliope hummingbird, the smallest North American bird, and a golden eagle, one of the largest. “It’s a perfect emblem of the diversity there,” Woodruff said.
Anicia checkerspots are common.
Two types of grasses — Richardson’s needlegrass and marsh arrowgrass — and a willow are at high risk of extinction in the state.
Cheryl Bellin, a butterfly expert from the Methow, has made half a dozen trips to the site. She recently found a silver-bordered fritillary last documented at the meadows in a statewide survey 25 years ago. Bellin also saw several varieties of hairstreaks and skippers and watched as a butterfly laid an egg.
Preservation plans
Efforts to preserve the meadows go back several years. Two and half years ago, property owner Herman “Jack” Jones floated the idea of selling the property. With its unique characteristics, the property caught the attention of the Fish and Wildlife Department at the Colville Tribes and conservation groups including OLT, the Methow-Okanogan Beaver Project, and Trout Unlimited. Vanderwal coordinated efforts between the groups and the Okanogan Conservation District until OLT was able to take the lead.
After Jones died last year, the Colville Fish and Wildlife Department, Vanderwal and OLT began talking with his sons about the potential for purchasing the property to preserve its unique ecological functions. The sons are committed to keeping the property intact — they recently adjusted property boundaries to include another 8.5 acres to keep the creek continuous throughout the entire property, Miller said.
OLT has been working with state agencies on two major grant applications to purchase and restore the meadows. The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Critical Habitat category is the best fit, but the property could also qualify for a streamflow-restoration grant administered by the state Department of Ecology, Miller said.
The state Recreation and Conservation Office will issue its preliminary rankings of Critical Habitat grant applications in August and announce funding decisions next year. Because the site is so unique, OLT is optimistic about receiving a high ranking, Miller said.
To serve as a bridge to meet the purchase deadline until they learn if they get a grant, OLT has been working on obtaining a conservation loan, Miller said.
Planning for the future
There are informal roads and trails on the property. Public access would be preserved and ideally enhanced with a boardwalk that would allow people to appreciate the fen. There are also upland trails that connect with Mount Bonaparte.
There is indication of dewatering from peat mining, but the upper half of the area is largely unaffected, and there is a large intact native-plant community and rare plants even where it was disturbed, Wozniak said.
Although it’s two hours from the Methow Valley, the meadows are widely known by birders because they’re so important, said North Central Washington Audubon Society president Art Campbell, who lives in the Methow. The chapter, with almost 500 members from Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas and Ferry counties, recognized that Bonaparte Meadows is “a really unusual conservation opportunity,” and made a $50,000 donation.
Miller and Vanderwal described the project to the Okanogan County commissioners last week, highlighting the unique opportunity to preserve open space and increase water storage. Preserving the site and cold water will help steelhead in Bonaparte Creek and salmon in the Okanogan River, Vanderwal told the commissioners, who voiced support for the project.
The area has unique plants, wetland and birds, but with development pressures, there is some urgency — people can’t just expect to visit next year, Wozniak said.
The momentum and research have been paying off to uncover the uniqueness of the area. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for for years,” Vanderwal said.
For more information about Bonaparte Meadows, visit www.okanoganlandtrust.org.
Bluegrass for the meadows
People can experience the meadows in person and enjoy bluegrass music at a concert organized by Methow Arts and the Okanogan Land Trust.
“Art in the Wild: An Evening of Community & Bluegrass” is Saturday (June 27) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The show, featuring bluegrass classics and old-time melodies by local musicians Sandy Vaughn and by the Welter Brothers, starts at 6 p.m.
The outdoor event will provide information about the campaign to acquire and preserve Bonaparte Meadows.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for youths and available at www.methowarts.org under “Our Events.”
