The Okanagan Ecoregion lies east of the crest of the Coast and Cascade Mountain ranges and west of the Columbia and Selkirk Mountains. The ecoregion is characterized by long, rounded ridges, rolling plateaus, wide valleys, and large lakes. The Okanagan has both the coldest climate in Washington and some of the hottest and driest weather recorded in British Columbia. Conifer forests dominate mountain ridges and low hills in the ecoregion, while valleys and lowlands are often non-forested. The conifer forests are more open, consisting of smaller stands, than are forests west of the Cascade crest and in the adjacent Canadian Rocky Mountains. Decades of fire suppression, however, have resulted in a landscape composed of dense, fire-prone forests. Approximately 42% of the Washington portion of the ecoregion is in federal or state ownership, with the largest federal land-owner being the U.S. Forest Service. Populations levels have increased dramatically over the past 30 years. People moving into this region generally have larger incomes than those moving out. Additional information on this ecoregion is available from the Washington Biodiversity Council.
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