2018 Winter Newsletter

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

visit us!

101 SW Western Blvd., Suite 111 Corvallis, OR 97333 (541) 752.9609 greenbeltlandtrust.org

Prescribed fire at Kingston Prairie Preserve

burning to restore our native prairies

Fire crew discusses burn strategy

Partners Matter It takes a village to pull off a prescribed fire. The weather has to be just right and the stars aligned in order for crews to get the ‘thumbs up’ for a controlled burn.

Burning for Habitat The Willamette Valley was once dominated by prairies rich with diverse grass and wildflower species. These now-rare ecosystems requires regular disturbance to maintain native habitats.

Many of our native wildflowers, such as camas and the federally endangered Bradshaw’s Lomatium, have evolved with fire for thousands of years and flourish after a site is burned.

Wet prairie flourishes after fire

This fall Greenbelt held a controlled burn at Kingston Prairie Preserve, which will improve seed germination, removal of built up thatch, and shortterm soil fertilization. All of these factors help native, grassland species thrive.

The ‘Willamette Valley Presribed Fire Partnership’, led by The Nature Conservancy, includes 21 federal, state, and local fire organizations that work together to hold these fire events. A prescribed burn at Kingston Prairie Preserve in October included The Nature Conservancy, Center for Natural Lands Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and Stayton Fire. That’s a mouthful!

Collaborations for prescribed fire help to manage our Valley’s vast prairie systems, provide training for fire department staff and volunteers, and reduce risk for local communities. It’s a win-win!

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throughout the Willamette Valley, we are proud to place the long-term care of Kingston Prairie Preserve in their capable hands.”

Successful conservation is dependent on collaboration.

These properties join an expansive conservation corridor of 1,000+ acres along the North Santiam River, including lands managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, the City of Stayton, and the Bureau of Land Management. The region has also been a hub of private land restoration projects through partnerships with area nonprofits and agencies.

Oak prairie habitat at Kingston Hills

“Kingston Prairie and Kingston Hills are key puzzle pieces in this region. Their addition to this conservation corridor creates opportunities for large-scale habitat management for fish and wildlife, and brings together partners who are working on regional resiliency plans,” says Claire Fiegener, Greenbelt Land Trust’s Conservation Director. “Successful conservation is dependent on collaboration.”

The Confluence building, opening 2021!

Stacy and Peter at Symphony on the Land

The Confluence

Why We Care Member Highlight

A Center for Collaboration and Community Five of the region’s prominent environmental Company and Soft Star Shoes. With organizations are launching a new building 75% of all construction materials sourced in downtown Corvallis that will house within a 30-mile radius of the site and a organizations committed to the vitality of comprehensive sustainability design plan, our region’s lands, waters and people. the building will be a leader in energy Since 2016 Greenbelt efficiency.

“This building isn’t just Land Trust, Benton Soil The concept of coabout reducing our and Water Conservation individual rental costs or locating operational District, Cascade Pacific streamlining operations. facilities is not a new one Resource Conservation and Development, Corvallis This project also offers us – there are 400+ ‘shared space centers’ nationEnvironmental Center, and a platform to ‘think big’ the Institute for Applied and deepen the impact of wide. These office hubs catalyze opportunities for Ecology have been our collective conservation collaborations that extend working side by side on this programs.” well beyond the simple innovative project. act of sharing space.

The building is owned and built by With an opening slated for 2021, we can’t respected local builder, Alan Ayres, whose wait for ‘The Confluence’ to be a part of work can be appreciated at several our community for generations to come! local spots, including Sky High Brewing

82% shared space tenants report better ability to achieve their mission*

75% tenants report increased staff morale*

$25k

61%

tenants average annual savings per tenant*

tenants report larger scope and programs*

*2015 State of the Shared Space Sector Report

Project partners celebrate The Confluence launch

Local timber milled for the building’s beams.

We have a new American citizen in our midst. Peter Moore, formerly from New Zealand, recently attended his American citizenship ceremony. “The Western part of Oregon and parts of New Zealand look very similar, “says Peter. “I was involved in conservation projects down under and I feel privileged to be contributing to our local natural environment here in Corvallis.”

Peter, and his wife Stacy, both work for the Institute for Applied Ecology and are Greenbelt members. Peter has worked on collaborative projects with Greenbelt to improve habitat for fender’s blue butterflies and Nelson’s checkermallow.

We appreciate all that Greenbelt does to benefit future generations Stacy collaborates with Greenbelt and Marys River Watershed Council on student projects at Bald Hill Farm. “Our partnership has brought great strength to the student education programs; each of us brings our own expertise and enthusiasm,” says Stacy.

This year’s education program will bring dual immersion third-grade students from Lincoln and Garfield Schools on field trips to Bald Hill Farm in the spring.

The Moore family can be seen on Bald Hill Farm trails with their two border collies, Hazel and Storm. “Oregon’s plants, animals and people are blessed by the presence of Greenbelt in our community. We appreciate all the land trust does to make our Valley beautiful and benefit future generations!”

P.O. Box 1721  Corvallis, OR 97339 PO Box 1721 I Corvallis, OR I 97339

30 Annual Meeting February 28 @ 6pm th

In 1989 Greenbelt Land Trust was formed. ‘Dream Big’, they said. Now, 30 years later, we are celebrating three decades of conservation and community.

YOU are the key ingredient.

YOU are Greenbelt Land Trust.

Join us as we reflect on the last 30 years, and then step with us into plans for the future. Now’s the time. Come, celebrate with us and lend your voice to envision the next era of Greenbelt Land Trust!

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF

1st Presbyterian Church, Dennis Hall 9th & monroe, corvallis VISIONARY LEADERS HEALTHY LANDS AND WATER ICONIC LANDSCAPES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS COMMUNITY

www.greenbeltlandtrust.org

Non-profit org.

U.s. postage Paid Corvallis, or Permit no. 217