Seattle City Light and the Wildlife Research Advisory Committee for the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Wildlife Research Program (WRP) grants. Since 1999, this program has supported more than 75 projects to help us better understand and protect wildlife in the North Cascades.
The WRP provides funding to researchers, with special support for students studying natural resources. This year, two important projects were chosen to receive grants. These projects aim to protect endangered species and preserve our region’s biodiversity.
Let’s take a closer look at these two projects.
Project 1: Lynx Habitat Research
Project Title: “Lynx habitat use in the face of increasing fire in the North Cascades”
Grantee: Home Range Wildlife Research
Why this matters: The Canada lynx is a rare species in Washington – it is both a state endangered species and a federally threatened one. Wildfires are damaging their habitat in the North Cascades, making it even harder for these animals to survive.
What this project will do: We are providing more funding to an existing WRP grant to help researchers study how lynx use burned areas. They will look at the following:
- Which burned areas lynx choose to live in.
- How these habitats fit into lynx home ranges.
- How likely these areas are to burn again.
These findings will help land managers decide how to protect lynx habitats while dealing with wildfire risks.
Project 2: Beavers, Carbon, and Salmon Growth
Project Title: “How do beavers influence basal carbon sources and salmon growth rates in streams and tidal channels?”
Grantee: University of Washington graduate student
Why this matters: Beavers play a big role in shaping freshwater systems. By building dams, they create wetlands and pools that support many other wildlife species.
What this project will do: The beaver’s role in food webs and nutrient cycles has been studied but less is known about carbon sources of nutrient pathways that are vital for many organisms, including salmon. This study will explore how beavers affect food sources in streams and tidal areas. Beavers are ecosystem engineers and greatly affect aquatic ecosystems through the formation of wetlands and pools by building dams in the freshwater systems and estuaries of Puget Sound. Researchers will look at the following:
- How beaver activity boosts carbon sources in these habitats.
- How this contributes to the food chain.
- Whether these changes help young Coho salmon grow.
The findings could lead to better conservation strategies for salmon and other aquatic life.
Thank you to the applicants and reviewers!
We are grateful to everyone who submitted project proposals this year. Your creativity and passion for protecting wildlife in the North Cascades inspire us.
A big thank-you also goes to the federal and state agency staff, university experts, and committee members who reviewed the proposals. Your hard work makes this program possible.
What’s next?
The Wildlife Research Program continues to support studies that protect wildlife and preserve the beauty of the North Cascades. We are excited to see the results of this year’s projects and how they will benefit our communities and ecosystems.