Fishers Point Habitat Reserve serves as an example of passive management, one of the three approaches we take to stewardship of our lands. Volunteer site steward Bill Hutmacher describes the property and the management strategy at work there:
Fishers Point is bounded on the north by Nehalem Bay, on the south by US Highway 101, on the east by private property, and on the west by state land. It has a tidal lagoon with tall grasses running almost the length of the property. The area along Highway 101 is a mixture of Sitka spruce, red alder, other evergreen and deciduous trees, red elderberry, ferns, and blackberry.
The passive management strategy being employed here seems to be working. I like the challenge of trying to remove invasive species, which on this property includes Scotch broom, holly, blackberry, tansy, and English ivy. My main nemesis here has been Scotch broom, but I think I have made some real progress in reducing its footprint. Next challenge will be English ivy growing on Sitka spruces. Encroachment by humans here (and their accompanying trash) occurs primarily during the summer and the fall/winter hunting season.
I chose this property because it was closest to my home in Newport and I felt could get there often enough to be a good site steward. I’ve seen deer, ducks, geese, osprey, bald eagles, and many other species of birds. It is a beautiful property that wildlife seems to utilize and that is so enjoyable for me to experience.
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