Wildlife mitigation is one of BPA’s most spectacular yet relatively unnoticed accomplishments.

When the federal hydroelectric dams in the Columbia and Snake river basins were built, the reservoirs that filled up behind them inundated thousands of acres of land. Most of this land was habitat for wildlife. Under the Northwest Power Act of 1980, BPA works to address these impacts through protecting and enhancing habitat for wildlife.

Today, through conservation easements, leases and land acquisitions, BPA has protected and enhanced thousands of acres of land throughout the Columbia River Basin. These lands are home to many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Innovative agreements with tribes, state and federal agencies, and nongovernmental conservation organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land provide for long-term stewardship of the land

BPA encourages wildlife projects that improve the ecosystem – watersheds and streambeds as well as land and vegetation. These habitat protection and improvement projects can provide benefits for both fish and wildlife.