The goals of this project are to acquire and restore approximately 600 acres of tidal emergent marsh, swamp, slough, and riparian forest habitat in the Columbia Estuary to benefit salmon, Columbian white-tailed deer and other wildlife.

Cooperators include BPA, USFWS, Columbia Land Trust, USGS, Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District, Corps of Engineers, WDFW, and ODFW.  Accomplishments for FY2003, the first year of the project, include the following:
• The Columbia Land Trust acquired 473 acres on Crims Island (BPA funding).
• USFWS completed a boundary survey (BPA funding).
• A draft Environmental Assessment for restoration of approximately 80 acres of tidal marsh on Crims Island is in preparation.  The restoration is scheduled to begin in August 2004 (Corps funding).
• USGS completed a pre-restoration fish survey (Corps funding).
• A contract was established for vegetation surveys (Corps funding)
• Columbian white-tailed deer have been reintroduced to the island complex (USFWS, WDFW, ODFW funding).
Accomplishments for 2004, the second year of the project, are the following:
• The Columbia Land Trust acquired a 50-year lease of Walker Island, thereby preserving more than 109 acres of tidal marsh and riparian forest (BPA had provided $136,250 for acquisition, but it was not needed).
• The Columbia Invasive Weed Control Partnership began restoring existing tidal marsh and riparian forest at Crims and Walker Islands by controlling invasive plants such as purple loosestrife (BPA funding).  Loosestrife biocontrol agents were released at 10 sites and plants were hand pulled along 5.5 miles of route.
• Waterbird and Columbian white-tailed deer use of habitats at Crims and Walker Islands were monitored (BPA funding).  
• Phase two of the Columbian white-tailed deer reintroduction to the islands was completed (USFWS, WDFW, ODFW funding).
• The pre-restoration vegetation survey at Crims Island was completed (Corps funding).
• The construction phase of the restoration of 94 acres of tidal marsh on Crims Island began (Corps funding).

Goals for 2005 are the following:
• Invasive plant control will continue.  Additional biocontrol insects will be released and past releases will be monitored (BPA funding).
• Construction of the 94 acres of tidal marsh on Crims Island will be completed (Corps Funding).
• Waterbird use of the restoration site on Crims Island will be monitored and compared with a reference tidal marsh (BPA and USFWS funding).
• Columbian white-tailed deer survival, habitat use, movements and productivity on and near Crims and Walker Islands will be monitored and documented.  The information will be used to determine if the deer should be removed from the endangered species list (BPA, WDFW and USFWS funding).

Goals for 2006 are the same as 2005 except that the 94 acres of tidal marsh has been constructed so the Corps will be focusing on revegetating and re watering the constructed area.  

This is the last year of BPA funding for the project and no proposal for future funding is planned.