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As pressures on Oregon’s lands and waters intensify, a quiet movement is taking root across the state—one built on cooperation, trust, and a shared sense of place.
Rural communities are grappling with record droughts, heightened wildfire risk, and shifting economic realities. Meanwhile, proposed rollbacks of federal environmental protections and increases in resource extraction threaten to further strain landscapes already stretched thin. Amid these challenges, Oregonians are finding new ways to work together to safeguard the rivers, forests, and farmlands that define life in the Pacific Northwest.
At the heart of many of these efforts are land trusts—nonprofit organizations that partner with landowners, Tribes, agencies, and community groups to conserve and restore important lands and waters. In the United States, land trusts have supported their communities in protecting more than 61 million acres of land, which exceeds the combined acreage of all our national parks. Locally, one such organization, McKenzie River Trust, began its work 35 years ago as a small, neighbor-led effort to protect a single parcel on the McKenzie River. Today, they have grown into a nationally accredited land trust operating across Lane, Douglas, and Lincoln counties, protecting more than 10,000 acres of land that spans from the Cascade Mountains to the central coast.
“Each community we work with has its own needs and priorities,” said Elizabeth Goward, Community Engagement Manager for the Trust. “Our role is to listen and find ways that our tools and resources can help people protect and care for the lands and waters that support their way of life.”
This approach, known as community conservation, has become a model for effective collaboration and partnership. Rather than focusing solely on wilderness or recreation, it brings people from all sectors together to balance ecological health with local livelihoods.
Protecting Oregon’s Working Lands
Just outside Junction City, the Trust partnered with local farmers this spring to permanently protect 150 acres of mixed farmland, forest, and natural habitat through a working lands conservation easement. It was the first easement of its kind to be funded through the state’s Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program, which supports landowners who want to keep their land productive while also protecting soil, water, and wildlife.
“Keeping the land in its current state with a mix of wilderness and working lands feels important,” said Trey Hagen, who grew up nearby. “I’ve seen farmland all over the state be reduced to 15 or 5-acre parcels. Larger tracts like this are becoming few and far between, and this easement is a way to keep the land together so that there will always be a future for local agriculture here.”
The program, administered by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, helps ensure Oregon’s agricultural landscapes remain whole and viable—supporting both food production and ecosystem health.
Cooperative Conservation in Oregon’s Working Forests
Further upstream in the McKenzie watershed, the Trust achieved another milestone this year: the permanent protection of 175 acres of former timberland along Gate Creek, an area that was heavily burned during the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. The land had long been owned by Weyerhaeuser, which worked with the Trust for several years to craft a deal that would ensure its long-term care.
“This project came together through steady collaboration and a shared vision,” said Sam Hillmann, the Trust’s Land Protection Manager. “It shows what’s possible when partners stay committed to common goals, even when the path is complex.”
Weyerhaeuser’s Land Asset Manager Will Stroud agreed. “This project reflects the power of partnerships to achieve long-term conservation outcomes. Weyerhaeuser is proud to work with McKenzie River Trust to contribute to a model of cooperative conservation that balances ecological stewardship with the realities of working forest landscapes,” he said.
Healing Watersheds Across Boundaries
Collaboration isn’t limited to farmland and forest parcels. Along Quartz Creek, a tributary of the McKenzie River, a broad coalition came together this summer to restore floodplains and improve water quality in the wake of the Holiday Farm Fire. The project—led by the McKenzie Watershed Council with partners from the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), USDA Forest Service, and McKenzie River Trust—crossed both private and Trust-owned lands.
EWEB helped secure a 50-year stewardship easement on 80 acres of upstream timberland, allowing restoration to flow from the upper creek to its confluence with the main stem of the McKenzie River. “One of the things that’s really beautiful about Oregon is that it doesn’t matter where you are—everybody cares about the outdoors,” said Susan Fricke, EWEB’s Water Resources Supervisor. “This project restores the natural processes that keep our water clean and our communities resilient.”
Co-Stewardship on the Coast
That same spirit of partnership extends all the way to the coast. At haich ikt’at’uu on the Siuslaw River estuary, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians are leading a multi-year project to reconnect 200 acres of former tidal wetlands back to the river. McKenzie River Trust, which currently owns the land, and Siuslaw Watershed Council are supporting the effort, aimed at restoring salmon habitat and reestablishing the natural rhythm of tides and floodwaters.
“This is not only a partnership—it’s a relationship,” said Ashley Russell, the Tribe’s Director of Natural Resources and Culture. “By braiding Indigenous Knowledge with Western science, we’re creating a really beautiful project that can be used as an example for other folks in different watersheds and in different states. An example of what partnerships can accomplish and what it takes for community to come together to move restoration forward in a good way.”
Once complete, the restored wetland complex will provide critical habitat for salmon as they transition between freshwater and the ocean, while also helping to buffer nearby lands from flooding and sea-level rise.
“There are people who value land and open space in every community,” said Jodi Lemmer, Stewardship Manager for McKenzie River Trust. “Projects like this strengthen the landscape—and the connections between people who depend on it.”
A Model for the Future
Across western Oregon, these partnerships are creating a model of community conservation that blends ecology, economy, and culture. They demonstrate that protecting land isn’t just about preserving open space; it’s about ensuring that future generations inherit a healthy, resilient home.
As Oregon continues to face environmental and economic uncertainty, these stories of collaboration offer something rare: hope rooted in action.
For more information about community conservation efforts and how to get involved, visit mckenzieriver.org.
McKenzie River Trust is a member-supported nonprofit organization. A gift of any size makes you a member. Please consider joining today, and together, we can protect and care for the lands and rivers we cherish in western Oregon. Give Now.
McKenzie River Trust is nationally accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. Accreditation is awarded to land trusts meeting the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence. The Trust maintains its accreditation through regularly completing a rigorous review process to demonstrate its fiscal accountability, strong organizational leadership, sound transactions, and lasting stewardship of the lands it conserves.
