The on-the-ground stewards of Washington’s 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands are in our three Aquatic Districts across the state. We carry out the hands-on management of these lands, and protect and enhance this legacy of aquatic natural resources for this and future generations.

We write leases for marinas, docks, businesses and shellfish beds, contract for cleanup of toxic materials, fight noxious weeds that can destroy valuable aquatic ecosystems, and restore habitat that has been destroyed.  We strive to find the balance that supports commerce, navigation, and public use and also protects wildlife habitat.

We value our work with so many public and private partners and volunteers that help us accomplish projects needed on aquatic lands all across the state.

The Northwest Region area stretches from the northern suburbs of Seattle to the Canadian border and includes Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. This region of mountains, valleys, islands, and Puget Sound shorelines features Blanchard Mountain, Lake Whatcom, Walker Valley, Cypress Island, and the Sultan Basin. We manage 387,000 acres of state trust lands for forestry, farming, and commercial uses. We also are stewards of more than 35,000 acres of natural areas that protect high-quality wildlife and plant habitat and provide low-impact public use.

We regulate forest practices and provide fire protection to 1 million acres of state and private forestland. We also administer 28 recreational sites and 118 miles of trails for hiking, horseback and ORV use.

Stretching from the mighty Pacific to the Cascade Mountains, our Pacific Cascade Region includes the widely diverse counties of Thurston, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania, along with southeast Grays Harbor. Unique to the region are the scenic Columbia River Gorge, infamous Mt. St. Helens volcano, numerous DNR natural preserves and natural resource conservation areas, Capitol and Yacolt Burn state forests, Toutle Ridge, and 33 recreation sites.

We are stewards of 480,000 acres of state forest, agriculture, urban and conservation lands. Our sustainably-managed state trust lands generate income for public schools, universities and other trust beneficiaries. We regulate forest practices and lead wildfire protection on 3.5 million acres of state and private forest land.

The Southeast Region is expansive, covering central and southeastern Washington from mixed pine and conifer forest foothills of the Cascade Range east to arid shrub steppe and vast agricultural lands. We implement DNR’s land management activities, stewardship, and regulatory programs in Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Walla Walla, Whitman and Yakima Counties.

We manage 880,000 acres of state trust lands in forest, agriculture, or commercial uses; and 12,900 acres for conservation. Of all the state trusts’ agricultural lands, 85 percent—620,000 acres—are in our region. They are leased for orchards, vineyards, grazing, range lands, irrigated and dry land crops. We regulate forest practices, lead fire fighting on 2 million acres of state and private forestland, and we are home to DNR’s wildfire fighting helicopters, seasonally stationed in Ellensburg.