The Elk River Estuary is an ecologically sensitive area located in Washington's Grays Harbor County. It encompasses the largest, highest quality native coastal salt marsh remaining in Washington and Oregon. The fragile environment of this river provides nesting areas for bald eagles, and important food sources for other wildlife such as Roosevelt elk, salmon, shorebirds and migratory waterfowl. In 1992, the Hancock Timber Resource Group sold 2,730 acres of this drainage to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to provide permanent protection for the Elk River Estuary. In 1994, the Department of Natural Resources acquired, through a land exchange, an additional 197 acres of prime wildlife habitat from the county. With the additional support of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the estuary has become the centerpiece of Washington's Elk River Natural Area Preserve.