Prairie, Oaks and People: Profile Projects

These projects are intended to showcase the range of projects that support the goal and objectives outlined in “Prairie, Oaks and People: A Conservation Business Plan to Revitalize the Prairie-Oak Habitats of the Pacific Northwest.”

GOAL: Healthy and resilient prairie-oak habitats across the Pacific Northwest that sustain all of their native species and generate benefits for current and future generations.

OBJECTIVE 1: Recover populations of 41 imperiled species and establish the ecological and social foundations to support their persistence over time.

OBJECTIVE 2: Restore and maintain habitats needed to conserve the biological diversity of prairie-oak ecosystems throughout their historic range.

Example project profile:

Creswell Oaks Protection

Creswell, Oregon

Description: Purchase of a conservation easement on this 1,700-acre property will protect one of the largest areas of oak habitats in the Willamette Valley. It supports remnant legacy oaks in a savanna setting, the largest population of Oregon Vesper Sparrow in the Willamette Valley, and a diverse matrix of oak and other habitat types. The most immediate threat is habitat conversion via the potential development of a golf course over a large portion of the property.

Outcomes: A conservation easement will protect ecological values, initiate a major collaborative habitat restoration effort, and provide significant research opportunities.

Cost: $6,000,000

Timeframe: 5-10 years

Read Prairie, Oaks and People: Profile Projects