A Living Legacy at Sweet Creek Forest
When Mat Purvis moved to Oregon in the early 1970s, he was excited to spend more outdoors. Growing up in urban Atlanta, Mat was accustomed to camping, hiking, and fishing but had always dreamed of owning a wilderness property. As a young physician with spare time, Mat leapt at an opportunity to pursue his dream when a colleague offered to sell him a tract of forest
on Sweet Creek.
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.
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.
Nurturing an Ecological Crossroad at the Willamette Confluence Preserve
After a decade of habitat restoration and successful reconnection of the river to its historic floodplain, The Nature Conservancy has completed the transfer of the Willamette Confluence Preserve, a 1,305-acre natural area, to a local conservation organization, McKenzie River Trust.
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.
Giving it Back to the River
McKenzie River Resident, Della Cantrell, finds closure through land conservation in the wake of the Holiday Farm Fire.
Property Purchase Near Blue River Will Fund Scholarships
Thanks to the support of our members, 47 acres are preserved for conservation on the banks of the Blue River On December 19th, we purchased a property next to the Blue River Park. The purchase was possible thanks to funding from a generous anonymous donor and other McKenzie River Trust supporters and partners. In 1986,…
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…
Native Oaks Ridge Protected!
The oak savannas were used by Indigenous communities for the harvest of important foods such as acorns and camas. The name Native Oaks Ridge honors that history.
Cerro Gordo Protected
“Do what’s right for the land.” It’s an ethos that the people who have lived at Cerro Gordo have taken to heart. Today, thanks to their foresight and dedication, glimmering Willamette Valley prairie, healthy oak and conifer forest, and a prominent rocky butte near Cottage Grove are all protected for conservation. However, it hasn’t been…