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This
region includes Washington's ten easternmost counties
from Canada to Oregon and from Idaho to the Columbia
Basin.
The area has 1,522 lakes, 11 reservoirs, and
more than 600 streams, including major tributaries
of the Columbia River. About 86 percent of these
waters are actively managed for trout, salmon,
and other fish species, including 39 fishing access
sites and 6 fish hatcheries.
Alpine forests of the Selkirk Mountains in the
north are home to endangered caribou and grizzly
bears. Sharp-tailed grouse and birds of prey,
such as Peregrine falcons live in the central
shrupsteppe; elk, bighorn sheep, cougar, and black
bear on the high plateaus and ridges of the Blue
Mountains. Streamside and wetland habitats host
a myriad of reptiles and amphibians, small mammals,
songbirds, and waterbirds, like tundra swans and
sandhill cranes.
This is the only region in Washington with significant
populations of whitetail deer and moose, which
draw hunters and viewers from across the state.
About one-third of the state's harvest of black
bears and about half the harvest of cougars come
from this region.
Four WDFW Wildlife Areas provide wildlife viewing
and hunting opportunities. The region also includes
two national wildlife refuges and two national
forests.
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