Coburg Ridge Preserve facts (../files/crp_facts.pdf) The Nature Conservancy in Oregon Press Releases Search All Press Releases Stephen Anderson Director of Communication Phone: (503) 802-8100 E-mail: standerson@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy and BPA announce new Willamette Valley nature preserve

Eugene, Oregon—24 May 2007—A conservation-minded couple and The Nature Conservancy have agreed to protect 1,244 acres of rare native prairie and oak woodlands near Eugene, creating the largest privately-owned nature sanctuary in the Willamette Valley. The project is funded by John and Robin Jaqua, the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Today, the Conservancy, BPA and the USFWS joined the Jaquas at the new Coburg Ridge Preserve to celebrate its creation and announce future plans for the preserve. 

The new preserve will be managed by the Conservancy to protect and enhance native prairie and oak woodland habitats important to dozens of wildlife species, including one of the largest populations of the Fender’s blue butterfly, a rare Willamette Valley native listed as an endangered species.

“High quality native prairie and oak habitats are few and far between today in the Willamette Valley, and this is one of the best there is,” said Russell Hoeflich, Oregon director for The Nature Conservancy. “John and Robin Jaqua have done a tremendous service to Oregonians by taking great care of this unique natural area and making sure it stays protected for future generations. We also commend BPA and other partners for stepping forward to protect this extremely important natural area.”

BPA provided $4.9 million of the $5.3 million purchase price for the Conservancy’s permanent conservation easement on the Jaqua property. The source of the funding comes from the agency’s Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Program, which supports the recovery of fish and wildlife and related habitat throughout the Columbia River Basin. The USFWS also provided major support for the new preserve, granting $400,000 from funds dedicated to land acquisitions that advance the recovery of federally listed species.

“Willamette conservation projects of this size are not easy,” said BPA’s Greg Delwiche, who oversees the agency’s environmental program. “Many of the large land ownerships in the Willamette have already been subdivided or converted due to the valley’s expanding population, so being able to get this contiguous piece of land with as much habitat significance is a real win for the region.” Delwiche added that BPA’s partnership with the Conservancy “is a key enabler in our mutual work to protect the natural environment as well as to tackle other environmental challenges facing the Pacific Northwest.” 

The Jaquas donated $1 million of the appraised value of the easement, bringing the price down from $6.3 million. They also are giving more than $3.8 million to endow long-term management and restoration of the new preserve and nearby natural areas. The couple, who has owned the property since the 1950s, built a farm and raised a family there. The new preserve includes upland areas of their farm in the Coburg Hills area east of Eugene.

Under the conservation easement, the Jaquas retain ownership but the land can never be developed. The Conservancy will create a management plan spelling out conservation objectives and actions which will include biological research, control of invasive weeds, prescribed burns and thinning of conifers that threaten to overshadow native oak trees.

Jon Jaqua, son of John and Robin, has worked with the Conservancy on the property for years on behalf of his parents. “This is a very special place to them,” he said. “They want their legacy to be a natural environment still protected for the community a hundred years from now.”

The Coburg Ridge Preserve is expected to benefit at least 26 species identified by the BPA and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council as meriting increased habitat protection in the Willamette Valley. In addition to the Fender’s blue butterfly, these species include the western gray squirrel, horned lark, Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, Kincaid’s lupine and the western meadowlark, Oregon’s state bird.

Ecologists estimate that less than five percent of the Willamette Valley’s original prairie and oak woodlands remain relatively intact, and they consider these habitats globally imperiled. Scientists have identified Coburg Ridge in numerous studies as harboring some of the largest and best examples of remaining Willamette Valley native prairie and oak habitats.
 
With cooperation from the Jaquas, ecologists have been studying the Fender’s blue butterfly and restoring habitats on the property since the mid-1990s. On the new preserve, the Conservancy will conduct detailed inventories of plant and wildlife populations and habitat conditions. Accelerated restoration efforts will focus on expanding habitats for the endangered butterfly and other species that use native prairie and oak ecosystems.

The preserve remains private property, and access will be limited to staff and contractors working with The Nature Conservancy on research and restoration projects and to educational tours arranged by the Conservancy.

Photos available on request. Contact: Stephen Anderson, 503 802-8100, standerson@tnc.org.