27 Acres Returned to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians at Cape Foulweather
In a historic land transaction, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians regained ownership of 27 acres of their ancestral homelands at Cape Foulweather on the central Oregon coast. The return of the land capstones a multi-year collaboration to protect the land’s ecological, cultural and scenic values.
Partners Resume Restoration on the Siuslaw River Estuary
Partners from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Siuslaw Watershed Council, and McKenzie River Trust are preparing for a second season of restoration on the Siuslaw River at Waite Ranch. Beginning in summer 2023, the tidal restoration project is working to return around 200 acres of estuarine wetlands to the Siuslaw River system.
430-acre Yakona Nature Preserve & Learning Center protected forever!
Local conservation organizations Yakona Nature Preserve and McKenzie River Trust have partnered to permanently protect 430 acres on the Yaquina River estuary. Founded by longtime Newport residents JoAnn and Bill Barton, Yakona Nature Preserve & Learning Center offers educational programming, community events, and guided access to the historic site. This month, the area was permanently protected through a conservation easement with McKenzie River Trust, ensuring the site’s future remains focused on serving the community through conservation, education, and building cultural connections.
Partners Break Ground on Tidal Wetland Restoration Project 10 Years in the Making
A decade after McKenzie River Trust, purchased 217-acre Waite Ranch in the Siuslaw Estuary, partners are breaking ground on a large-scale restoration project. Led by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI), the project will improve salmon and shorebird habitat, contribute to regional climate resilience, and provide a place for local Tribal citizens and families to celebrate and promote Indigenous culture on their ancestral lands.
Property Donation Protects Coho Salmon Habitat on Oregon Coast
In March of 2023, the Estergard family donated 85 of their original 300 acres of farmland on the North Fork of the Siuslaw River to McKenzie River Trust. The site, located a few miles upstream from the confluence with the mainstem Siuslaw River, provides important habitat for native species including Coho Salmon, lamprey, and waterfowl.
History Shapes a New Future for the Siuslaw River Estuary
For more than 20 years, wetland scientist Laura Brophy has been pioneering research on the wetlands of Oregon’s central coast. As both a technical researcher and a field ecologist, Laura has brought a unique lens and approach to unveiling a lost understanding of how areas such as the Siuslaw estuary functioned before European settlers moved west.
Conserving Cherished Places on Oregon’s Coast
Working in collaboration with our partners, McKenzie River Trust protected Cape Foulweather in August 2022 as an interim landowner. We’ll hold the property until it can be transferred to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the coming years.
Researchers Track Purple Martins Migratory Path
In hopes of saving a species, Dr. Sarah Rockwell, a Research Biologist with the Klamath Bird Observatory, is set on finding out where west coast populations of Purple Martins overwinter.
Tidal Wetlands Critical for Climate Resiliency on the Oregon Coast
Coastal habitat conservation is essential for helping tidal wetlands sequester blue carbon effectively. Smart investments in tidal wetland restoration today are critical for a stable climate future on Oregon’s central coast.
Wren Marsh a Key to Conservation on the Coast
Habitat Protected 10 Years Ago Expands with a Strategic Purchase In 2010, we acquired a 210-acre property between Florence and Mapleton known as Waite Ranch. This land is adjacent to Highway 126 and just upstream of Cushman Landing. It’s identified as a conservation priority because of the variety of habitat types that could be restored…