(OLYMPIA)- The Washington State Department of Ecology has secured $4.8 million dollars in federal grants to help acquire and restore 550 acres of tidal wetlands and associated freshwater and upland habitat areas in Island, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties.

The money comes from the National Wetland Conservation Program.

Ecology officials say $1 million dollars will help the Whidbey Camano Land Trust to permanently protect and restore 113 acres of coastal wildlife habitat, including 45 acres of tidelands in Camano Island’s Livingston Bay.

The wetlands are part of Port Susan Bay and adjacent to the Skagit and Stillaguamish river deltas which make up more 35 percent of tidal wetlands in Puget Sound.

The land trust and Livingston Bay Community Association will help provide an additional $450,000.

Meanwhile, $1 million will help permanently protect 119 acres and restore a portion of the shoreline in Tarboo-Dabob Bay in Jefferson County and $815,435 will go to restore the natural function of 21.4 acres near the mouth of Snow Creek in Discovery Bay in Jefferson County.

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