After 15 years of planning and development, a major conservation project near the town of Florence has achieved its goal: connecting a large swath of restored farmland to the Oregon Coast. The Siuslaw Estuary is a 217-acre expanse that’s expected to accommodate the return of salmon, lamprey, shorebirds, and native plants as it transforms with the tides.
Our new StoryMap, A Place of Constant Change, invites you to immerse yourself in this incredible landscape. Through stories, research, videos, and on-the-ground examples, this interactive experience traces the Siuslaw’s geologic history, the many people who have cared for this place across time, the changes that have shaped it, and the collaborative restoration efforts now underway.
Across the Pacific Northwest, forests capture and store water. In healthy forests, diverse tree canopies slow the rain as it reaches the ground. Then it
Since moving to Oregon in 2005, Anice Thigpen and Andrea Halliday have been caring for the land here. Now, they’re inviting others to join them through a special donation matching challenge in honor of Earth Day.
Tribes, agencies, and nonprofits are working together to bring prescribed fire back to the landscape. Prescribed fires in spring and fall help restore balance. They limit the spread of invasive plants and reduce the risk of larger, more destructive fires. By supporting prescribed fire, we can help restore these landscapes and ensure wildflowers continue to thrive.
Wandering through a riparian woodland, where sprawling branches — dripping in lush moss and lichen — stretch outward from ancient trees, the understory and forest floor are diverse and teeming with signs of life. Dangling above nurse logs and decaying downed wood, an unassuming clump of what appears to be haphazardly piled sticks and debris is gathered and suspended by branches. These are the elaborate homes of the dusky-footed woodrat.
McKenzie River Trust Executive Director Joe Moll shares his reflections on the proposed “Lane County Watershed Bill of Rights” (Measure 20-373).
McKenzie River Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for its third accreditation renewal through the national Land Trust Alliance. The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The public is invited to comment through Monday, December 22nd, 2025
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.
In May, McKenzie River Trust completed the purchase of 175 acres of high-priority habitat from Weyerhaeuser. This acquisition reflects the strength of thoughtful collaboration between conservation organizations and industry partners as we work to protect special places for Oregon’s communities, who rely on both commercial timber and natural habitats for economic and community health.
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