Whalen Island

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Credit: Larry Olson

For years, Whalen Island was one of the most pristine and easily accessible properties on the Oregon Coast still in private hands. The island includes over a mile of sand beach, 80 acres of wooded uplands, and 100 acres of grassland and tidal marsh. Migrating steelhead, cutthroat trout, and coho and chum salmon use the tidal sloughs as rearing grounds, bald eagles perch in the island's forested interior and forage in the open wet meadows. Otters, seals, shorebirds and waterfowl also use the island's diverse habitats. A five-acre public campground on the southern tip of the island provides a starting point for hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and birdwatching. In direct competition with residential developers, TPL secured an option on the property and spent over two years piecing together public funding to protect it. The land will be managed by the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation.