How to Protect Your Land

There are multiple ways we can assist

Tools for Conservation

As a land trust, we offer several tools to help landowners protect their land. We may be able to work with you to find a protection strategy for your property that meets your conservation goals and financial needs and that is consistent with our mission and capacity.

MRT may acquire property through land donation, voluntary sale/purchase or we may hold certain rights to a property through a voluntary conservation easement. Working with private willing landowners, the McKenzie River Trust takes on the responsibility of ensuring that the land and its conservation values will be protected forever.

Would you like more information about how to conserve your land? Contact us or call our office at 541-345-2799 and ask to speak with our Land Protection Manager.

Multiple ways to protect

Explore Land Protection Stories with McKenzie River Trust

Mary and Mike with their grandkids outside their home along Coyote Creek. Photo by Anne Nunn Photographers.

Leaving a Legacy at Coyote Creek Meadows

When Mary Minniti and Mike Shippey bought their 47 acre farm property 17 years ago, both buildings and land were clearly diamonds in the rough… with a heavy emphasis on rough.

“This living room ceiling was low and dark. It was like being in a cave: there were no windows providing a view of the wetland,” remarks Mary during a recent visit. “We thought we would move onto the land in five years, but we were spending every weekend here, so we just dove in. And we were here within 18 months.”

At the same time, Mike had looked on the heavily impacted land with promise. “Scattered among the meadow of planted forage grasses, I found many natives, including some rare ones, like Bradshaw’s lomatium.” An accomplished landscape architect, Mike set about to create Coyote Creek Meadows, a restoration project that included two wetland mitigation sites and a larger labor of love.

Easement

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.

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Land Protection

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.

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Land Protection

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.

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