In Oregon the Fund and its partners have preserved more than 70,000 acres of the state’s cultural and natural treasures—including forests and the historic landscapes associated with the Lewis and Clark expedition—for the enjoyment of future generations.

Recent Projects:

Gilchrist State Forest

We've saved more than 1.5 million forest acres across the country and continue developing promising conservation strategies to meet the challenges of a changing forestry landscape. As part of our efforts, we helped to establish Gilchrist State Forest, the first addition to Oregon’s state forest system in more than 60 years. In addition, we will purchase 25,000 acres adjacent to the new forest, with plans to retain them for a future purchase by the state. Both tracts will be managed as a single unit.

The Oregon Board and Department of Forestry will manage the land to provide a broad range of benefits over the long term, including wildlife habitat, timber to provide jobs and revenue to support local government services, and public access for recreation.

For much of the 20th century the land making up the new state forest was part of larger holdings owned by the Gilchrist Timber Company. The community of Gilchrist was the site of the company mill and home to many of its workers. The lands were harvested heavily and replanted in the early 1990s, after the Gilchrist Company sold them.

“The Gilchrist lands have been treasured in this part of Oregon for decades. Thanks to the support and vision of the community, the Board of Forestry, The Conservation Fund and others, we can celebrate the beginning a great new era for these forests.” — Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski

Read the press release >>

Photo: Michael Lemmon/Flickr

Past Projects

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Trail

In honor of the bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Fund embarked on a major campaign to commemorate the legendary journey by protecting open space, river corridors and resources associated with the passage. Through its Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Initiative, the Fund and its partners have set aside more than 25,000 acres along the famous route.

Our efforts also include protecting lands—more than 1,000 acres—for the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Oregon and Washington, including land critical to the Fort to Sea Trail and Clark’s Dismal Nitch. Today the stands of spruce and hemlock surrounding the sites shelter beaver, black bear, mountain lion and Roosevelt elk.

We also negotiated the gift of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau’s gravesite from private landowners to Malheur County, ensuring its permanent protection. Charbonneau was the son of Lewis and Clark Expedition members Sacagawea and Touissant Charbonneau. He was born mid-journey in 1805 and as an infant crossed the continent with the famed Corps of Discovery.