This priority landscape includes three watersheds: Black River, Independence Creek, and South Fork Chehalis River.  Our 2020 Forest Action Plan analyses identified this area as a priority due to an overabundance of mid-seral forests, high number of small forest landowners, importance for drinking water, and high values for fish and wildlife habitat.

This priority landscape does overlap the larger Chehalis basin.  In 2016, the state Legislature created the Office of the Chehalis Basin to pursue an integrated Chehalis Basin Strategy to reduce flood-related damage within the basin, and restore and improve aquatic species habitat.