Creek bottom on Boneyard Ridge property
On Wednesday, April 29, NCLC received word that we will be receiving $524,000 from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board toward purchase of Boneyard Ridge, a 360-acre parcel of commercial timberland threaded with salmon-bearing streams on the northeast slope of Tillamook Head.
Boneyard Ridge is tucked between conserved lands in Ecola State Park and our own 364-acre Circle Creek Habitat Reserve south of Seaside. Purchase of this property will carry forward a legacy that was first envisioned in the 1930s, when the fledgling Oregon State Park system and some very generous Oregon families first created Ecola State Park. NCLC is helping to advance that vision by creating a connected, conserved region of more than 3,500 contiguous acres stretching from the summit of Tillamook Head to the Necanicum River valley and floodplain. Our goal with the stewardship of this property is to allow it to mature into the kind of complex rainforest that once characterized headlands all along the northern Oregon coast.
Seaside and NCLC’s Circle Creek Habitat Reserve viewed from the southeast corner of the Boneyard Ridge property
Boneyard Ridge isn’t in our hands yet! We don’t ordinarily make announcements about new properties until we have closed on the deal. But after more than 100 friends and admirers of Neal Maine contributed more than $26,000 toward the project in honor of Neal’s 75th birthday in February, we thought our supporters would like to stay informed about how this project is progressing.
We expect to pay about $1.8 million for Boneyard Ridge; to date we have $560,000 in hand, including the OWEB funds and $10,000 from the Mintkeski Family Fund. We are seeking additional funds from a variety of sources, including public agencies and private foundations. We plan to complete acquisition of Boneyard Ridge by the end of 2016 and look forward to sharing that news with all of our friends and supporters.
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