2,500 Acres of Working Forest Conserved On Oregon Coast

Columbia Land Trust, GreenWood Resources, North Coast Land Conservancy, and Sustainable Northwest announced the conservation of more than 2,500 acres of forestland along Highway 101 between the towns of Astoria and Seaside in Clatsop County, Oregon. The project will protect the working forest from future development or subdivision, ensure tribal and public access, and preserve water quality through Columbia Land Trust’s purchase of a conservation easement. GreenWood will continue to own and manage the property for forestry, preserving the jobs, timber supply, and tax base it provides.

“This is a great example of what can be achieved when conservation organizations and a timber company work collaboratively to protect our forests,” said Columbia Land Trust Conservation Director Dan Roix. “We are proud to be part of the local communities that recognize the important role Oregon’s coastal forestland plays in climate change mitigation, clean water, thriving wildlife, and natural beauty.”

Protecting these coastal Oregon forests is critical because in addition to providing beloved scenery and recreational opportunities they store large quantities of carbon, provide fresh water for coastal communities, and generate sustainable wood products. The easement will enlarge protected riparian areas around streams, as well as enrich habitat for the region’s elk herds, building on recommendations from the Clatsop Plains Elk Collaborative.

The new conservation protections support the Land Trust’s goal to leverage the natural climate solution that Northwest forests offer; combating climate change by sequestering carbon and creating connected, climate resilient landscapes.

“We are pleased to work with our conservation partners to assure that these working forests keep on working,” said Mark Morgans, Director of North American Forest Operations at GreenWood Resources. “We remain committed to natural resource stewardship and sustainably growing forests for the many benefits they provide.”

Columbia Land Trust worked collaboratively with North Coast Land Conservancy and Sustainable Northwest to bring the project to completion and advance shared conservation goals.

“After years of working toward a forestry conservation project with GreenWood and securing more than $2 million in funding, we were delighted when Columbia Land Trust accepted our invitation to step in to hold and steward this easement,” said Katie Voelke, Executive Director of North Coast Land Conservancy. “In addition to helping this project succeed, the Land Trust’s partnership freed up our resources to focus on the Rainforest Reserve, another significant conservation project happening concurrently on the Oregon coast. It’s exciting and hopeful to have conservation and forestry working together in these critical and valuable ways.”

The conserved land will remain open to Native American tribes for cultural uses and the public for low impact recreation including deer and elk hunting.

The parties would also like to thank US Forest Capital who helped originate this conservation opportunity and advised on the transaction, as well as the North Coast Land Conservancy primary funding partner National Guard Bureau and Oregon Military Department, through the Army Compatible Use Buffer program.