Martin Miller Fund
The Martin Miller Fund was started in 1987 for the purpose of acquiring habitat to be protected in perpetuity for plants, animals, birds, fish, and their ecosystems. The fund has helped preserve extensive habitat in the region including wintering habitat for eagles on the Skagit River, a nature reserve on Lummi Island, and a wildlife corridor on Bainbridge Island, among many other land parcels.Â
Request for Proposals
Birds Connect Seattle’s Martin Miller Fund periodically seeks applications for grants to help acquire wildlife habitat to be protected in perpetuity. Protection of the habitat value must be a primary purpose of the acquisition, and is usually done by an approved conservation easement. Other forms of protection are occasionally approved. The conservation easement or other protection must prohibit activities that would interfere with the habitat value of the proposed acquisition. We also usually require that, if the preservation purposes can no longer be met and the property is sold, the portion of the sales proceeds equal to our portion of the original purchase price must be used to purchase additional wildlife habitat.
Martin Miller Funds may only be used to help pay the purchase price for the property. For example, we can’t provide stewardship funds or closing costs. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $35,000; occasionally more. We will not be running a spring 2024 grant cycle. We will update this page with any future RFPs, when funding becomes available. Please check back in spring 2025 for more information.
For more information, please contact Executive Director Claire Catania, clairec@birdsconnectsea.org.
Past Awards
Birds Connect Seattle has granted nearly $600,000 from the Martin Miller Fund since its inception.
2010-Present
| Year | Amount | Collaboration | Description/Location |
| 2021 | $25,000 | Kittitas Conservation Trust | Cottonwood Cove, Cle Elum |
| 2021 | $30,000 | Skagit Land Trust | Moon Uplands Plot, Fidalgo Island |
| 2021 | $25,000 | Columbia Land Trust | Ponderosa forest, Klickitat County |
| 2018 | $15,000 | Columbia Land Trust | Seal Slough Project – Phase 2 |
| 2016 | $40,000 | Columbia Land Trust | Seal Slough Project |
| 2014 | $30,000 | Skagit Land Trust | Bell Property Purchase |
| 2012 | $25,000 | Lummi Island Heritage Trust | Otto Preserve, Lummi Island |
| 2012 | $15,000 | Vashon Maury Island Land Trust | Whispering Firs Bog, Vashon Island |
| 2011 | $20,000 | Whatcom Land Trust | North Fork of Nooksack River, Whatcom County |
2000-2009
| Year | Amount | Collaboration | Description/Location |
| 2006 | $35,000 | Capitol Land Trust | Black River Burquist, Thurston County |
| 2005 | $20,000 | Wild Salmon Center | Wild Salmon Center, Portland, Oregon |
| 2003 | $50,000 | Cascade Conservation Partnership | Yakima River, near Lake Easton |
| 2002 | $20,000 | Trumpeter Swan Society | Hines Marsh Gray’s Harbor |
| 2001 | $7,500 | Vashon-Maury Land Trust | Christensen Creek, Vashon-Maury Island |
| 2001 | $20,000 | The Land Conservancy | Bear Creek Headwaters (Lloyd/Hines Marsh/Ledbetter) |
| 2000 | $30,000 | Lummi Island Heritage Trust | Lummi Island/Otto Farm |
| 2000 | $25,000 | The Nature Conservancy | White Creek |
| 2000 | $36,500 | The Nature Conservancy | Moses Coulee |
| 2000 | $50,000 | NW Ecosystem Alliance | Loomis Forest |
1990-1999
| Year | Amount | Collaboration | Description/Location |
| 1999 | $20,000 | Grays Harbor Audubon | Humptulips Property |
| 1999 | $23,500 | Seattle Audubon Society | Carnation Marsh |
| 1998 | $25,000 | The Nature Conservancy | Grant County |
| 1997 | $20,000 | Bainbridge Island Land Trust | Wildlife Corridor Parcel |
| 1995 | $5,750 | Vashon-Maury Land Trust | Vashon-Maury Island Heronry |
| 1993 | $25,000 | The Nature Conservancy | Grouse Lek |
| 1993 | $5,000 | Vashon-Maury Land Trust | Vashon-Maury Island Heronry |
| 1990 | $25,000 | The Nature Conservancy | Barnaby Slough, Skagit River |
Great Horned Owl / Lawrence Miller / Audubon Photography Awards
Support the fund
If you wish to further support the Martin Miller Fund please consider a gift.