A settlement agreement between the Columbia River Alliance for Nurturing the Environment (CRANE) and the Port of Vancouver, USA provided that about 540 acres would be designated as natural habitat for migrating Sandhill cranes and other birds, and about 520 acres would be developed for industrial use. The parties identified the Columbia Land Trust as the preferred entity to permanently own and operate the property as crane habitat under a conservation easement and habitat management plan. Attorneys from Tonkon Torp’s Real Estate & Land Use and Environmental & Natural Resources groups represented the Land Trust in negotiating and completing the transfer of the property from the Port and in the establishment of an endowment for the perpetual management of the crane habitat.

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