Coal Creek Swamp

Type of Project: Habitat Reserve

Working together, NCLC and The Nature Conservancy raised the funds to purchase this ecologically diverse tract of land.

Once common in the Pacific Northwest, Sitka spruce swamps are now among the rarest habitat types in Oregon. Coal Creek Swamp, on the north fork of the Nehalem River, is one such gem. A recent study identifying high-priority conservation land within the Nehalem watershed put this piece of land at the top of the list.

In 2007, Paul McCracken of McCracken Woodlands LLC made phone calls to The Nature Conservancy and North Coast Land Conservancy to discuss protection of the site. Working together, NCLC and TNC raised the funds to purchase this ecologically diverse tract of land, with McCracken Woodlands LLC committing to donate stewardship legacy funds. This commitment guarantees that NCLC will be able to manage this land in perpetuity for the biodiversity and conservation values it possesses.