Our Story
Finding common ground in the ground itself.
North Coast Land Conservancy has been working since 1986 to conserve and connect the landscape of the Oregon Coast, from the Columbia River to northern Lincoln County, by acquiring or otherwise managing lands for their habitat value. With a portfolio of more than 61 fee-title properties, in addition to 15 conservation easements, NCLC has completed more fee acquisitions in Oregon than any other local land trust, ranking it alongside The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Lands for statewide conservation impact.
This nationally accredited private, nonprofit land trust works to ensure that this extraordinary region is a place where healthy communities of people, plants and wildlife can all thrive.
Where it All Began
In 1985, a group of people from communities throughout Oregon’s North Coast assembled to consider a new way to approach conservation.
They wanted to approach conservation cooperatively rather than confrontationally, to engage the whole community to do what was best for people, plants, and wildlife. By 1986, North Coast Land Conservancy had a name, an eight-member board of directors, and perky logo featuring a favorite wetland bird, the marsh wren.
One Win-Win, Then Another
NCLC’s first opportunity to take action arose in 1991, when we successfully facilitated a land swap that conserved a 15-acre parcel of private timberland adjacent to Saddle Mountain State Park—a park known for its rare plant species. It was the first biodiversity-based conservation proposal that state and federal agencies involved in the negotiations had ever seen. That same year NCLC made its first acquisition of land in what would become a pattern of win-win transactions. The purchase of Wahanna Marsh in Seaside both conserved a saltmarsh and helped create a place for the children of Seaside to play baseball.
Since then, NCLC has conserved thousands of acres of land in Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties, mainly by acquiring land outright or by acquiring conservation easements on private land. We have also helped transfer hundreds of acres of land to public ownership.
How do you sit down at the table with a timber company and carry on dialogue that doesn’t include threats of lawsuits but is instead a facilitation? We figured it out.
— Neal Maine, NCLC founding executive director
About North Coast Land Conservancy
Our Mission
Helping to conserve Oregon’s coastal lands and waters, forever.
Our Vision
A fully functioning coastal landscape where healthy communities of people, plants and wildlife all thrive.
Our Core Values
Seeking Common Ground
We believe that the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of the people who make up the North Coast community provides a rich cultural fabric informing our conservation work, ensuring our relevancy in an ever-changing world. We strive to listen and learn. Regardless of our livelihood, political leaning, gender, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity, we can all find common ground in the ground itself.
Integrity
In all our dealings with supporters, partners, and community members, we strive to be the strongest link in the chain. We are reliable, inclusive, dependable, transparent, and honest in our intentions, actions, and communications. We seek to be continually informed and educated by our coastal community and the scientific community to guide our decision-making .
Connectivity
We recognize the interconnectedness of all life on Mother Earth. We work strategically to conserve ecological systems—air, water, soil, and more—that are the basis of all life.
Joy
We take delight in our work and treasure laughter in the workplace and in the world. We enjoy experiencing the natural world and seek opportunities to share it with others. Our baseline attitude is optimism.
