Eastern Puget Uplands

The Skagit-Snoqualmie Wildlife Area Complex, a 8,170-acre state conservation area with GAP 2 status under Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife management, is the primary biodiversity-managed land unit overlapping the ecosystem. Most surrounding protected land is either GAP 3 (multiple-use state or federal land open to logging and mining) or GAP 4 (no biodiversity mandate).

Month-to-date precipitation at Everett station, 11 km away, is 0 in through mid-September, 1.3 in below the normal of 1.31 in for this date. Early fall remains dry after successive below-normal precipitation through much of the water year.

Pacific chorus frogs were recorded 34 times in the past month, with the most recent on September 24 in Washington. The observations span from late August through late September, concentrated in Snohomish County. These mid-fall records suggest frogs are active in upland habitats after summer breeding season, moving toward overwintering grounds.

Snohomish County entered severe drought in the week of September 22-28, 2026, with 3.05% of the county classified D2 or worse. This is the first appearance of D2 (Severe Drought) since late August, when the county held only D1 (Moderate Drought) at 54.47%. The shift reflects intensifying water stress heading into fall.

Japanese knotweed was observed 30 times in the past 30 days, concentrated along the Centennial Trail and streets near Lake Stevens between September 3 and September 23, 2026. This invasive species flowers late summer through fall and spreads aggressively along disturbed corridors, persisting despite management efforts in the region.