
Partnerships at Work in the McKenzie Valley
The completion of restoration at Quartz Creek bolsters a growing network of efforts to protect water and wildlife across the McKenzie River watershed.
McKenzie River Trust works with willing landowners to help protect and care for Oregon’s lands and rivers. As a local land trust, we offer several tools to help landowners protect their land from the Cascades to the Coast in Lane, Douglas, and Lincoln counties.
Simply put, our volunteers are amazing. Each year, hundreds of community members like you join in to help protect and care for land and water from the Cascades to the Coast. Volunteers plant trees, remove invasive plant species, lead tours on protected lands, conduct species surveys, and more. Individuals, families, groups, and business groups are all welcome to volunteer!
As a nonprofit organization, McKenzie River Trust relies on the generous support of members like you. Each year, nearly 2000 households across western Oregon make the incredible choice to invest in clean water, abundant fish and wildlife habitat, and thriving communities. We invite you to join us in the good work by becoming a member of McKenzie River Trust today.
McKenzie River Trust cares deeply for the land, water, animals, and people in our communities. We take an innovative approach to restoration working with experts from across the field to design and implement large-scale projects that benefit fish and wildlife. From upland oak prairies to streams and coastal estuaries, we’re working to enhance habitat for Oregon’s threatened and endangered species.
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.