Cape Foulweather
Owned Property
Cape Foulweather was purchased by McKenzie River Trust using a low-interest bridge loan in 2022 in collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) and Lincoln County. Working with additional partners, including the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, the land was returned to Tribal ownership in October 2024 with a grant through NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
“Each place on Earth goes deep. Some vestige of the old, now seemingly eclipsed place is always there to be had. The immensity of the mutable sea before me at Cape Foulweather, the faint barking of sea lions in the air, the nearly impenetrable (surviving) groves of stout Sitka spruce behind me, the moss-bound creeks, the flocks of mew gulls circling schools of anchovies just offshore, the pummeling winds and crashing surf of late-winter storms–it’s all still there.”
– Barry Lopez, Horizon
An Otherworldly Gem on Oregon's Central Coast
Towering above the Pacific Ocean, Cape Foulweather rises abruptly from intertidal sea beds into lush coastal bluffs and forest. Nestled in a stretch of Marine Garden, this area supports Harbor Seals and other diverse marine life who find sanctuary in its rocky intertidal zone. Reaching inland, the property opens uphill, covering the cliffs in rare salt spray meadows that flow into dense inland spruce forests.
About the Property
The conservation area includes 27 acres of ecologically and culturally significant habitat on the central Oregon coast. The property is at the headland of Cape Foulweather, adjacent to Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint just north of Newport, OR. Cape Foulweather is home to a range of important habitats that support threatened and endangered species including kelp forests, Oregon Silverspot Butterflies, and Marbled Murrelets. McKenzie River Trust purchased the property in collaboration with The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and Lincoln County, both of whom identified the area as a priority for conservation. In fall 2024, the Tribe completed the purchase of the property and will steward it to promote environmental and cultural benefits for people of Oregon’s central coast.
The conservation property begins in the intertidal zone of the Pacific Ocean and rises up coastal bluffs into spruce forests that break the winds above Cape Foulweather. The property includes salt-spray meadows, a rare and important habitat for the federally threatened Oregon Silverspot Butterfly. Adjacent to Highway 101, the site is visible from miles away, and its conservation contributes to the scenic quality of the area just south of Otter Rock.
A Safe Place to Land
Intact, undisturbed salt spray meadow is a rare and important nursery habitat for many species including the Federally threatened Oregon Silverspot butterfly. The incredible diversity of habitats provide a much needed home for an abundance of species in Oregon’s central coast. Protection of this special place and providing for it’s ongoing care touches all of us from land to sea.
Uphill, spruce dominant forests contribute important habitat for birds such as the Marbled Murrelet, an endangered seabird that has been observed in nearby areas. These slightly strange and mysterious little seabirds live along the northern Pacific coast and rely on old-growth forests for nesting habitat. Keeping connections between shore and stand is critical to help protect this special species.
How it was Protected
In summer 2022, McKenzie River Trust used private donations and a low-interest loan from Craft3’s Conservation Bridge Fund program to pay for the purchase of the property off the open market. The Conservation Bridge Fund provides loans to conservation organizations like McKenzie River Trust to acquire sensitive lands, restore habitats and protect water quality. The loan program was created through a program-related investment and grants from the Meyer Memorial Trust.
Between 2022 and 2024, the Trust continued work with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Lincoln County, and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to access federal funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In spring 2023, DLCD was awarded $2.01 million to support the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in purchasing the property from McKenzie River Trust.
In October 2024, the property was purcahsed by the Siletz Tribe, marking the first oceanfront property the Tribe had recovered since facing historic land losses in the late 1800’s.
