DNR proposes to buy, manage and protect wetlands and adjacent uplands within two state Natural Area Preserves, Ink Blot and Shumocher Creek. Both preserves are located in Mason County near Hood Canal and the Skokomish Valley. These preserves contain four imperiled wetland and bog ecosystems and seven very rare and/or high quality occurrences of wetland plant communities. One of the plant communities found on Shumocher Creek Preserve, the Sitka alder/skunk cabbage water parsley community, has a very restricted geographic range; it is only found in the Puget lowlands and is critically imperiled globally. Inventories by two Natural Heritage scientists at the sites indicate that all of these wetland types and plant communities are in excellent condition. Until very recently DNR did not own land at either site. However, with the help of The Nature Conservancy, DNR purchased the majority of the Shumocher Creek site from a large timber company in June 2002. At both sites, the proposal is to buy parcels from willing sellers that contain the rare and high quality wetlands or that border the wetlands. This phase of the project will protect the most critical portions of the remaining wetlands at both sites, including two large 160 acre blocks at Ink Blot and thirteen, 5 acre lots that border the wetlands at both sites.