Tribe increases conservation properties

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

The Tribe has acquired 2,578.98 acres for its conservation properties during the past 13 years in Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Lane and Linn Counties through the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program.

According to its website, the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program is a partnership between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bonneville Power Administration to protect wildlife habitat in the Willamette River Basin. The main goal of the program is to offset the effects of federal flood control and hydroelectric facilities on wildlife, particularly those affected by the Willamette River Basin Flood Control Projects.

The Tribe’s latest acquisition under this program is Deer Path West, a 55.46-acre property located near Dallas with a mix of forest land.

“The process for the program is highly technical with strict criteria, layers of requirements and competitive funding,” Tribal Self-Governance/Lands Manager Jan Reibach said in an email notifying Tribal officials of the acquisition. “The Tribal Lands Department and the Natural Resources Department have worked closely with the Bonneville Power Administration through many obstacles and challenges to close on the properties. The Tribe has enjoyed a great success with 12 properties closed thus far and $14,297,517 in total external funding.”

In its final phase, there are five property acquisition in process, he added.

The Tribe also owns Deer Path East, located next to Deer Path West and acquired it in 2023.

“The habitat of the site is a diverse mix of upland habitat types,” Reibach said. “The eastern portion of the property has rare oak savanna and oak woodland habitats. The central portion of the property has a forest stand comprised of genetically pure Willamette ponderosa pine. The western portion of the Deer Path project is mixed forest, which provides increased diversity for a suite of native wildlife species. “

He noted that several wildlife species have been seen on the property, including at-risk species such as the western bluebird, white-breasted nuthatch, western wood-peewee, pileated woodpecker, bald eagle, and band-tailed pigeon.

“Congratulations to the Tribe and gratitude to all involved in making the recovery of this beautiful conservation land into Tribal ownership possible,” Reibach said.

Conservation properties owned by the Tribe include the following:

• Rattlesnake Butte – 96.98 acres, acquired Sept. 2012
• Rattlesnake Butte 3 – 172.47 acres, acquired May 2015
• Chahalpam – 348.11 acres, acquired May 2013
• Chahalpam 2 – 91.44 acres, acquired Jan 2015
• Chahalpam 3 – 30.86 acres, acquired March 2018
• Chankawan - 425.71 acres, acquired May 2016
• Noble Oaks – 667.5 acres, acquired June 2019
• Ahsney – 61.85 acres, acquired Dec. 2019
• Takilth – 108.12 acres, acquired May 2021
• Enchanted Oaks – 462.8 acres, acquired Feb. 2022
• Deer Path East – 57.68 acres, reimbursed Sept. 2024
• Deer Path West – 55.46 acres, acquired May 2025