98 Acres on Ten Mile Creek Protected (OR)

YACHATS, OREGON. 1/2/02 – National Audubon Society and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) are pleased to announce today the purchase and protection of 98 additional acres along Ten Mile Creek near the coastal town of Yachats.

The acquisition was made possible thanks to funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Pine Tree Conservation Society and an ongoing partnership with the USDA Forest Service.

The property, sold to TPL by local resident Hans Radtke and family, includes Ten Mile Creek, and is surrounded on several sides by the Siuslaw National Forest. The site contains old growth cedar and sitka spruce and is home to threatened and endangered species such as the Marbled Murrelet and the Spotted Owl. Audubon will be responsible for long-term management of the property, including plans for a wildlife sanctuary.

The purchase is a key component in Audubon’s basin-wide conservation strategy that seeks to protect and restore critical, but fragmented, habitat along the Ten Mile Creek watershed. Audubon is working with TPL to acquire eight additional sites in the basin including further Ten Mile Creek frontage and hillside forests. The acquisition of the Radtke site and other properties will contribute toward the creation of a contiguous, protected landscape between the Cummins and Rock Creek Wilderness Areas in Lane County. Through the collaboration of foundations, conservation organizations, government agencies, and individuals, over 1,350 acres have already been set aside for conservation, including the existing 116-acre Ten Mile Creek Audubon Sanctuary. This conservation strategy compliments the Siuslaw National Forest efforts for protecting threatened and endangered species that depend on old-growth forest.

“Today’s purchase marks a significant step in our efforts to protect critical habitat in the Ten Mile Creek basin,” said Paul Engelmeyer, director of Audubon’s Ten Mile Creek Sanctuary. “Even more importantly, it illustrates what can be achieved when private individuals and foundations invest in conservation. It is through the vision and cooperation of partners like the Radtkes, the Trust for Public Land, and the Pine Tree Conservation Society that we are here today. We hope others will follow their example as we continue to seek out conservation opportunities throughout the region.”

“We are pleased to be able to take part in this project to protect a beautiful and unique area,” said Hans Radtke. “We moved into the Ten Mile Creek Valley during the 1970s. Over time we have come to realize that areas like this need special attention if we are to pass these attributes on to future generations.”

A long-term management plan for the property will be developed and implemented by Audubon, with input from Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Educational tours and restoration projects will allow the public to play an active role in the conservation of the site, and contribute to the health of Ten Mile Creek itself, which is critical to a variety of endangered fish species, including Steelhead, Cutthroat Trout, Coho, and Chinook Salmon.

The Trust for Public Land is the only national nonprofit organization working exclusively to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being. Since its founding in 1972, it has helped protect 2,100 special places in 45 states – from expansive recreation areas, to historic homesteads, to city parks. TPL was recently ranked the nation’s most efficient charity in the conservation field by Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney magazine. For more information about TPL’s work in the Northwest, please call (206) 587-2447.

Founded in 1905 and supported by 600,000 members in more than 500 chapters throughout the Americas, the National Audubon Society conserves and restores natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

Audubon and TPL welcome any group interested in contributing to the financial needs of this ongoing program. Please contact Kristin Newman at (503) 228-6620 for further information.