As mists reach skyward, a quiet plop ripples out over still waters as a rough-skinned newt disappears below the surface. Here on the banks of the Yaquina River, the steady hum of the Pacific Ocean lingers in the background, blending with the pops and plops of life in a tidal wetland. Herons and egrets glide overhead, while flocks of shorebirds move in and out with the tides. From the river’s edge, hills climb more than 200 feet, separated by steep ravines with cascading, bubbling springs. These hills are clothed in spruce forests and a mix of commercial tree species, all nourished by the steady drift of coastal fog.
Step off the trail, and your feet sink slightly into the soft, spongy forest floor. Morning sunlight filters down through the canopy, carrying the warm, earthy scent of duff—a mix of fallen needles, moss, and damp soil. Beneath this living layer, roots weave a tight network that holds the hillsides together and sustains an abundance of plants and wildlife. It’s a place alive with transition: the sharp scent of brackish water in the air, mushrooms pushing up from the soil, and salmon navigating the blurred edge between fresh and salt water.
The Yaquina River and its surrounding lands help define life in Newport, Oregon. As the Pacific Ocean pushes inland, the broad bay is home to Oregon’s largest commercial fishing fleet. Moving upstream into the estuary, Coho salmon find food and shelter in the transition zone, while bald eagles, osprey, and countless other birds take advantage of the abundance the land and water provide.
Just over four years ago, McKenzie River Trust expanded into Lincoln County to help safeguard this special place. The move followed years of conversations with the volunteer-run Central Coast Land Conservancy (CCLC), which was transitioning its protected lands to other regional land trusts as part of a thoughtful dissolution process. Founded in 1993, CCLC helped protect hundreds of acres in Oregon’s central coast region.
This fall, we completed the most recent of four transfers of these properties into our care, adding to the mosaic of lands we’re working to protect from Newport to Toledo. These properties already carried conservation easements, but in a generous act of foresight, each of the landowners chose to donate additional restrictions before the transfer, strengthening the protections for the lands, wildlife, and future generations.
That choice highlights the power of land and water conservation. It’s not about a single moment, but about perpetuity. One land trust passing lands to another ensures that stewardship endures beyond the lifespan of organizations and individuals. Each handoff, like CCLC’s transfer to McKenzie River Trust, is an act of trust that the land will be cared for forever, woven into a larger network of connected properties and partners.
Fran Recht, longtime leader with CCLC, reflected: “For small, all-volunteer land trusts like ours, partnerships and resource sharing are essential. By passing these lands to McKenzie River Trust’s care, we are ensuring that the protections we worked so hard for will live on, supported by a larger network of staff, resources, and community.”
Together, these properties strengthen a protected landscape that links estuary to forest, salmon runs to bird migrations, and human community to natural abundance. They are part of a broader network of conservation across the coast, where partners, landowners, and supporters each play a role in strengthening the resilience of our communities through their care for local lands and waters.
These transfers remind us that protecting land is not just about preserving the natural environment; it is also about relationships and commitments that stretch across time. Thanks to the vision of CCLC, the dedication of partner landowners, and the care of many in our community, these lands now carry stronger protections and a renewed promise for the future.
More than four years ago, McKenzie River Trust expanded our work into Lincoln County to help safeguard this special place. Now, we’re carrying forward the good work of the Central Coast Land Conservancy and expanding impact across the Yaquina River watershed.
The completion of restoration at Quartz Creek bolsters a growing network of efforts to protect water and wildlife across the McKenzie River watershed.
In late June, Pacific Lamprey were released into the upper Long Tom River, marking the first time these ancient fish have swum in this part of the watershed in nearly 100 years. Part of a decades-long restoration initiative, the release was carried out by fisheries staff from the Nez Perce Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), who harvested the adult spawning fish at Willamette Falls, collected DNA samples, and then released them into the Long Tom River.
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