The Skookumchuck Watershed project in Kittitas County is a unique opportunity to protect a large tract of high quality shrub-steppe habitat and link the largest remaining blocks of shrub steppe in the state. The Skookumchuck Watershed, a tributary of the Columbia River north of Vantage, is the first phase in a two-phase acquisition proposal. In this phase we propose to acquire 10,000 acres of high quality shrub steppe encompassing virtually the entire Skookumchuck Watershed. In addition to protecting shrub steppe at the watershed scale, this acquisition would establish landscape-scale connectivity between two existing WDFW wildlife areas that abut the property to the north and to the south. The Skookumchuck provides critical habitat for numerous federal, state and priority listed species, including endangered Upper Columbia River steelhead, state-listed sage grouse and bighorn sheep. This key piece of property supports the majority of the shrub-steppe-dependent species endemic to Washington. It has been identified as a target for conservation in the Columbia Plateau Eco-regional Assessment and designated as an Important Bird Area in Washington by Audubon. Sixty percent of the shrub steppe in Washington already has been lost. Acquisition of this parcel would protect an entire watershed and connect it with the largest remaining block of shrub steppe in the State of Washington.