(Clackamas County, Oregon) - Western Rivers Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today the conservation of 30 acres of fish and wildlife habitat along the Wild and Scenic Salmon River just west of Mount Hood.
Western Rivers Conservancy, a nonprofit river protection organization based in Portland, purchased the land from Clackamas County and facilitated the transfer of the land to the BLM for habitat protection and public recreational access. The property lies within the Wild and Scenic river corridor of the Salmon River – the primary fish-producing stream in the Sandy River Basin.
This land adds to a 5,000-acre natural area that Western Rivers Conservancy is assembling along the Middle Sandy River and Little Sandy River above Dodge Park. To date, Western Rivers Conservancy has protected more than 2,900 acres in the basin. The BLM is taking title to these lands, combining them with existing BLM holdings to connect a larger 9,000-acre natural resource area that will expand recreational opportunities in the Sandy River Basin.
“Acquiring this land is great news for the Sandy River fishery, which relies on the Salmon River as primary anchor habitat for salmon and steelhead,” said Sue Doroff, Western Rivers Conservancy’s Vice President. Doroff added that this is the first phase of a multi-part transaction that will ultimately conserve 352 acres along the Salmon River and Boulder Creek, another tributary widely regarded for its fish habitat. “We are proud to partner with the BLM and Clackamas County to conserve these sensitive lands,” she said.
“This is a great example of a conservation organization working together with the local and federal government to assemble a beautiful new natural area and retain the public’s access to scenic trails and fabulous recreation opportunities,” said BLM Salem District Manager Aaron Horton. “We’re taking an important step in a long-term conservation effort that we’re committed to see through. The result will be good for the river and good for the community.”
Clackamas County Director of Business and Community Services, Dan Zinzer, praised the transaction. “This is not only conserving a piece of critical habitat in our community, but also bringing revenue to the County’s park trust fund,” he said. “The County, Western Rivers Conservancy and the BLM have built a great partnership that is meeting everyone’s objectives.”
Located within 25 miles of more than one-third of Oregon’s citizens, the Sandy River is a scenic and recreational treasure. Hikers, anglers and wildlife viewers revel in the Sandy’s deep gorges, adventurous whitewater, runs of wild salmon and steelhead and the Oregon Trail tracing its northern edge.
This past fall, Portland General Electric (PGE) removed Marmot Dam on the Sandy River, making the river free-flowing from Mt. Hood’s glaciers to the Columbia Gorge. PGE will remove the Little Sandy Dam this year, restoring flows to that stream for the first time in a century. The dam removal plans were set in motion in 1999, at which time PGE, Western Rivers Conservancy and the BLM formed a partnership to restore and conserve the Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers and create a natural and recreation area along the river. Along with dam removals, PGE is donating 1,500 acres to Western Rivers Conservancy for the natural area. The Conservancy is committed to acquiring approximately 3,500 additional acres of private lands in order to assemble continuous river corridors along thirteen miles of the Sandy River and four miles of the Little Sandy, totaling 5,000 acres.
Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith and Congressman Earl Blumenauer have played an essential role in securing $10.7 million in appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for the Sandy since 2001. With funding from the LWCF, Western Rivers Conservancy is conveying the Sandy River lands to the BLM to protect sensitive fish and wildlife habitat and uphold the area as a public resource for hikers, floaters and anglers.
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BACKGROUND:
About Western Rivers Conservancy: Western Rivers Conservancy acts to protect outstanding river ecosystems in the western United States. We acquire land to conserve critical habitat, provide for compatible public use and enjoyment and cooperate with other agencies and organizations to secure the health of the whole ecosystem. www.westernrivers.org
