Photo: Jonny Armstrong, at Bald Hill Farm
561 Acres Protected. Forever. North Santiam River As the North Santiam River flows around a bend behind a dense stand of oak, cottonwood, and maple trees, a bald eagle soars above the tree-line towards one of a handful of nests along this reach of the river. On a bluff overlooking the river below, Greenbelt Land Trust’s Executive Director, Michael Pope, pauses to reflect on the rich diversity of forests, prairie, and wetlands on this 406-acre property just outside of Stayton. “There are few places in the Willamette Valley where you can find such a complex mixture of native habitats providing sanctuary for wildlife. Protecting this special place will have lasting impacts for generations to come,” says Pope. And protect it is just what Greenbelt Land Trust has done.
This fall, through a partnership with landowners who were committed to leaving a legacy on their land for future generations, Greenbelt Land Trust acquired the 406acre Kingston Hills property. The acquisition of this dynamic property was provided through funding from the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program, a joint conservation fund administered through Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition, earlier in the month, the Land Trust assumed ownership of the adjacent 155acre Kingston Prairie Preserve – expanding Greenbelt Land Trust’s footprint in the area to 561-acres. Kingston Prairie was transferred from The Nature Conservancy as part of a collaborative partnership designed to align conservation partners and priorities across Oregon. The Kingston Prairie Preserve protects some of the best remaining native prairie in the Willamette Valley. “Oregon’s land trusts play a critical role in our state’s future,” says Derek Johnson, Director of Protection and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Oregon. “After many years of partnership with Greenbelt Land Trust
View of the North Santiam River
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561 Acres Protected
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Fire as Restoration
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The Confluence Partnership
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Member Highlight Peter and Stacy Moore
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