PRESS RELEASE
Conservation Groups Work Together on Nesika Beach Preserve
June 17, 2020
Port Orford, Oregon
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Wild Rivers Land Trust (WRLT) announced they have completed the transfer of TNC’s Nesika Beach Preserve property in Southern Oregon to WRLT. The transfer of the 71.5 acre preserve will ensure the continued protection of this unique coastal forest habitat and watershed while advancing WRLT’s “Summit to Sea Stacks” conservation goal for the South Coast, linking protected upland woodlands, agricultural lands and rivers to coastal woodlands.
Nesika Beach is a special place. The coastal headland supports a wind-sculpted shrub community with a diverse mix of species such as crowberry, coast silk tassel, Pacific wax myrtle and more and protects most of the watershed. The preserve features a rare forest with a unique combination of mature Sitka Spruce and Grand Fir, a stream and wetlands that are critical for amphibious and aquatic species such as beavers, river otters, and Pacific giant salamanders and unique coastal bluffs habitat. A section of the Oregon Coast Trail borders the property as does the Giesel Monument State Heritage Site. It has historical significance as the probable location of the 1850’s mining settlement called Elizabethtown that was the site of a major event in the Rogue River Indian War.
Nesika Beach came under the threat of subdivision and development before TNC and others stepped in to help protect the land, help keep the coastal forest intact and establish the Nesika Beach Preserve. After developing a strong partnership by working on this and other projects, staff at TNC know that the dedicated conservationists at WRLT will be excellent long-term stewards of Nesika Beach Preserve, working to ensure its health and vibrancy for generations to come. “We are thrilled to have developed a strong partnership with TNC, and we look forward to working on other regional projects in the future,” states Ann Schmierer, Executive Director of the WRLT.
“The long term conservation of special places, such as Nesika Beach is paramount to the missions of both TNC and WRLT,” says Derek Johnson, Deputy Director of Operations and Communications for TNC in Oregon. “The transfer of Nesika Beach Preserve secures the future of the forest and watershed, enables positive growth for the Wild Rivers Land Trust and conservation along the South Coast and helps TNC focus resources where we are uniquely positioned to achieve ambitious outcomes for nature and people.”
If you would like to know more about Wild Rivers Land Trust, visit the website at www.wildriverslandtrust.org, Facebook page at facebook.com/WildRiversLandTrust/ or by call the office at 541-366-2130.
Wild Rivers Land Trust is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2019, that works to secure Oregon’s legacy of clean waters, healthy habitats and working lands for future generations.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 79 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners.
www.nature.org/Oregon
