For over 30 years, the McKenzie River Trust has been a trusted partner in land conservation throughout the McKenzie basin and western Oregon. We have pursued our mission of “helping people protect and care for the lands and rivers they cherish” by focusing on habitat diversity and health, river dynamism, and wild landscapes. But we need to more explicitly acknowledge that people and communities have been and continue to be part of these ecosystems. The “helping people” part of our mission compels us to ensure that we are a welcoming organization that fosters a sense of belonging and that our work benefits and engages all people, not just some.  Prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) means we must explicitly center the voices, needs, and concerns of the people most harmed by inequities and injustices.

We understand that the conservation movement we are a part of, and the broader system of private land ownership, has committed disproportionate harm to black, Indigenous, and other people of color. This compels us to reflect on how our work has perpetuated injustices, the inequitable distribution of benefits (e.g., access to natural spaces, clean water, clean air), and barriers to owning, accessing, and managing land. Reflecting on this history allows us to more holistically address social issues connected to environmental issues rather than seeing them as separate. All environmental issues have an impact on community health and well-being. That impact is more keenly felt by communities most affected by climate change, land disenfranchisement, and environmental degradation, including Indigenous communities, communities of color, rural communities, working-class communities, and unhoused peoples in western Oregon. We believe these same communities should be engaged and included as thought partners and leaders when crafting conservation solutions and approaches to caring for land and water. 

Prioritizing DEIJ in our work supports the work of McKenzie River Trust in maintaining the landscape scale vision required to address climate change and community needs as we work to maintain the ecological integrity of western Oregon’s landscapes. Prioritizing DEIJ also ensures the resiliency and relevancy of our organization by nurturing an environment in which all staff, Board, volunteers, and members thrive and feel a sense of belonging and engagement with our critical mission. Organizational change takes time, proper consideration, and discussion, and we bring forth this commitment statement, having worked internally over many years to evolve to this point.

What is our role?

We are one small land trust in western Oregon within a larger land trust sector within the broader conservation movement. We recognize our power and the need for us to collaborate with others across and beyond the land trust and conservation sectors in working to dismantle inequities and injustices.

• As a land trust organization with resources (land, wealth, connections, power) and community trust, we are uniquely positioned to protect, restore, and manage land in our region in ways that ensure that people’s connection with the land is not limited by persistent and systemic disparities in power and privilege. We can also leverage our niche technical expertise around buying, owning, and stewarding land.
• As a community-based organization, we can focus not only on the landowner but also on community needs more broadly. Our tools can support communities that have been excluded or systemically harmed by land-based policies and practices rooted in settler colonialism and white supremacy culture that have created the foundation of inequity that we inherit as an organization today.
• As a member of a broader land trust movement, we have the responsibility to better understand and reckon with the historical legacy and ongoing structural inequities of land use and land ownership systems in our state and nation, including legacies of oppression, broken treaties, racially restrictive covenants, and redlining in our region. 
• As an active participant in this sector, we can influence and work alongside fellow land trusts, watershed councils, and other partners to create a more just region with thriving lands and communities.  

What are our commitments?

To better embed DEIJ values in our organization, we make the following commitments, which are supported by a detailed, measurable plan of action and accountability.

1. DEIJ in our Programs: McKenzie River Trust commits to integrating DEIJ perspectives into our programmatic work
2. Learning & Sharing that Learning: McKenzie River Trust commits to continuing our learning about the intersecting histories of racial injustice and land conservation. We will incorporate new understanding and continue to promote learning opportunities within our spheres of influence.
3. Equitable Partnerships: McKenzie River Trust commits to building relationships and engaging in equitable partnership within and outside the conservation sector.
4. Representation & Culture: McKenzie River Trust commits to building a more diverse conservation movement, reflective of the communities we serve.
5. Indigenous Sovereignty: McKenzie River Trust commits to building and promoting reciprocal relationships with indigenous communities to advance opportunities for land access and tenure.