Washington State Wildfire Destroys Sensitive Habitat On National Land

NPR

Published September 6, 2016 at 1:11 PM EDT

A makeshift fire truck puts water on a wildfire, which is part of the Okanogan Complex, as it burns through brush on Aug. 22, 2015 near Omak, Washington. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

The Range 12 wildfire in Washington State began July 30 and burned for days, blackening 176,600 acres of valuable habitat on the Hanford Reach National Monument. The land was set aside in 2000 by President Bill Clinton, and it’s home to desert species including the Greater Sage-Grouse, sagebrush sparrows and tiny burrowing owls.

Anna King of Here & Now contributor Northwest News Network took a look at what was lost — and what remains.

Reporter

Anna King, reporter for Northwest News Network. She tweets @AnnaKingN3.

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