The sale of 6,900 acres of in Lewis County created the largest wildlife management area in western Washington. Tacoma Public Utilities made the purchase from the Hancock Timber Resource Group, helping to restore wildlife populations and habitat lost when two dams flooded the Cowlitz River valley in the 1960s. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife helps manage this property for the enhancement of wildlife and wildlife-related public recreation. Forest species such as black-tailed deer, bald eagles, elk, bear and cougar benefit, as do wetland species such as wood ducks, mallards, herons and various types of fish. The Hancock Timber Resource Group retains timber rights on about 60 percent of the property while preserving stands of older timber, and maintaining the viewshed overlooking the town of Morton.