Pollock Oaks

Why It’s Important

The Pollock Oaks Conservation Easement protects 62 acres of land in the Umpqua River watershed made up of oak savanna, upland prairie, marsh, and forested wetlands. The property is located in the heart of an area in Douglas County where many organizations are working together to protect oak woodlands for the sensitive species that use them.

Fish and wildlife on the property

Sensitive fish and wildlife species likely to benefit from the conservation easement include acorn woodpecker, columbian white-tailed deer, slender-billed nuthatch, western bluebird, and western pond turtle. Coho salmon and steelhead inhabit Pollock Creek, which runs through one end of the property.

Restoration

Jim Lee, a Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District employee, inspired landowners Dale Carey and Joyce Machado to restore and protect the oak woodlands on their land. Dale and Joyce have undertaken extensive oak woodland restoration since 2007. Using Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funds, matched by their own savings, they’ve thinned out fir tree stands on their property. They sent the downed firs to a lumber mill, using all the proceeds – over $20,000 – to invest in further habitat improvement.

In a later restoration project, Cindy Bright, also of the Soil and Water Conservation District, helped Dale and Joyce improve their stretch of Pollock Creek for coho salmon by adding large wood to the stream to create spawning habitat.