The proposed acquisition is located in the Coburg Ridge Conservation Area in the lower foothills of the McKenzie Watershed within the Willamette Subbasin. The property includes approximately 670 acres of oak woodlands and prairie habitats and approximately 420 acres of Douglas fir forest. Intermittent streams, seeps and rock outcrops add diversity to the habitats at the site. The overall goal of the project is to mitigate habitat loss and degradation through protection, restoration, and maintenance of oak, prairie, and Douglas fir habitats. Once acquired, we will manage the land to benefit the subbasin plan’s terrestrial focal species and to meet the plan’s habitat objectives using ecosystem and adaptive management principals. The project is expected to benefit at least 26 focal species identified in the Willamette Subbasin Plan including habitat for two listed species. The proposed acquisition supports one of the four largest populations of Fender’s blue butterfly and a small population of Kincaid's lupine (Hammond 1994, Schultz 1995), which were federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as Endangered  and Threatened respectively in 2000 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2000).

The project fully supports the goals, objectives, and priorities set forth in the 2000 Fish and Wildlife Program (NWPCC 2000) and the Willamette Subbasin Plan (Primozich and Bastasch 2005).  The 2000 Fish and Wildlife Program directs BPA to mitigate for the adverse affects caused by the development and operation of the hydrosystem with a specific focus on recovering wildlife listed under the Endangered Species Act through the implementation of habitat acquisition and enhancement projects. Cost sharing in our proposal contributes to meeting the Northwest Power Act requirement of addressing fish and wildlife needs as efficiently as possible. In addition, as a relatively large ownership in the Willamette Subbasin it provides an excellent opportunity for cost effective conservation of these habitats – both in the land acquisition cost per acre, and in the long-term administration of the project and stewardship of the site.

The Willamette Subbasin Plan identified wildlife conservation as a priority for the subbasin (Primozich and Bastasch 2005, p.5-2). The plan’s overarching objective for terrestrial species in the subbasin is to significantly increase population trends of focal species, especially those listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, by protecting and improving the quantity and quality of connected habitats on which they depend (Primozich and Bastasch 2005, p. 5-8, 5-19). More specifically, the subbasin plan recommends focusing on the protection and restoration of valley and foothills wildlife species (Pimozich and Bastasch 2005, p. 5-2). The subbasin plan goes on to recommend protection efforts be focused on areas identified in the Willamette Valley--Puget Trough--Georgia Basin Ecoregional Assessment (Floeburg et al. 2004) and in the Alternative Futures Assessment conducted by Hulse et al. (2004). Wilson (1998) described Coburg Ridge as one of only four sites in the Valley to include very high quality upland prairie habitat. The Subbasin Plan recommends preserving high quality habitats as well as restoring degraded habitats (Pimozich and Bastasch 2005, p. 5-19).  

The focus on upland prairie and oak habitats was further emphasized in the FY 2007-2009 Guidance for the Willamette Subbasin (NWPCC 2005). The Guidance specifically recommended protection and restoration of oak, prairie, and riparian habitats and floodplain areas with a particular emphasis on 19 Conservation Opportunity Areas identified in the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy including Coburg Ridge. In addition the Guidance emphasizes work in Areas with a diverse assemblage of habitats that can accommodate the greatest range of biological diversity.

Coburg Ridge was identified as an important area to conserve in all three assessment and guidance documents (Hulse et al. 2002; Floeburg et al. 2004; NWPCC Oct. 2005). Acquisition of this property will contribute to conservation goals identified in the Statewide Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 2005); federal critical habitat designation (Federal Register, Nov. 2 2005, Vol. 70. No. 21, p. 66512); Oregon Biodiversity Project (Oregon Biodiversity Project 1998); Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin Ecoregional Conservation Assessment (Floeburg et al. 2004); Oregon Joint Venture Plan for the Willamette (Roth and Taylor 2002); and the McKenzie River Watershed Assessment which identified protection of Oak habitat as a priority.