Tuesday June 25, 2024
Oregon Public Broadcasting —
A 20-year conservation effort to restore the lower Siuslaw River just got a big boost. A cattle farmer recently transferred 245 acres of land to continue restoration of the tidal estuary. The act will mean a lot for salmon.
If the Siuslaw River estuary were a puzzle, a good-sized piece of it was just put back. The latest land deal helps expand more than 1,200 acres of existing conservation lands in the area.
It took the work of state and federal agencies and area nonprofits to make it happen. Joe Moll is Executive Director of the McKenzie River Trust, now responsible for stewarding the tidal property now in permanent protection.
“You know historically the Siuslaw River was one of the biggest producers of salmon on the Oregon Coast,” Moll said. “And over time, that changed, and this will be a tremendous boost as a nursery for the Coho salmon particularly.”