The proposed project is located across three permanently protected properties and collectively comprises over 800 acres: Harkens Lake, Horseshoe Lake and Little Willamette (Benton and Linn Counties). These properties were brought into the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program by BPA, OWEB, and ODFW for their strategic location and recognition of their outsized potential contribution to salmonid recovery efforts. Over the past ten years Greenbelt has converted well over 500 acres of ag-land into diverse floodplain forest, wetlands and prairies. Additional management is needed to speed the development of the mature and complex floodplain forest characteristics that are so valuable to fish and wildlife. The actual project footprint is 176.3 acres.

Project goal is to increase the ecological value of over 800 acres of permanently protected and actively managed Willamette River Anchor Habitat for multiple Oregon Conservation Strategy Species (salmonids, birds and wildlife) though enhancing restored floodplain forest health, function and structural heterogeneity, promoting a biodiverse floodplain forest understory, and building resilience to invasive plant species. Contractor will be procured to implement mechanical thinning across 157 acres to establish a varied age and multi-layered riparian forest canopy. At least 5 new acres of diverse floodplain forest will be established and an additional 14 acres of established shrubs will be enhanced with tree planting. We will emphasize the development of large canopy trees, add understory native plant diversity, and replace areas dominated by invasive plant species with many acres of newly planted forest. These activities will expand the sites' food webs and resources for salmonids and a suite of OCS species, increase the acreage of floodplain forest, and promote improvements for water quality / quantity. Work will follow the land management plans approved / reviewed by OWEB, BPA and ODFW, while technical assistance is provided by the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, ODFW and Bob Altman. Greenbelt relies on restoration professionals such as Rosario Franco, Seven Oaks Nursery, Heritage Seedlings and Advanced Land Management. Floodplain properties are demonstration sites for the conservation and restoration community and provide educational opportunities for students of all ages.

This project builds upon deep investments by OWEB, BPA, Meyer, and Greenbelt to permanently protect and conserve over 800 acres of lands across three properties. Over the past 12 years Greenbelt has permanently retired agricultural fields and established new floodplain forest. Work also included extensive engineering to re-connect the Willamette River to 2.5 miles of historic back-channels and alcoves. This has increased the extent and periodicity of flow across and extensively planted floodplain. All of these actions have greatly improved rearing habitat and refugia for salmonids, while also benefiting a whole suite of birds, amphibians, western pond turtles, pollinators, and other OCS wildlife.

The work proposed in this project will further develop the complexity of the restored floodplain forest, so it more closely mimics fully functioning and naturally occurring floodplain forest, and will prioritize the following aspects of watershed health:

• Native fish and wildlife habitat: Implementing thinning will increase the heterogeneity of planted riparian forest structure, providing a greater diversity of habitats for more species. Promoting larger trees will lead to larger woody debris in the River, increased opportunities for cavity nesting birds and ultimately large woody material on-site. Decomposing materials will build the food web from the ground up, increasing invertebrates and also providing amphibian habitat. Work to convert existing areas dominated by invasive species to native floodplain forest will further expand riparian habitats and improve overall habitat structure and function.

• Species diversity and increasing vegetative ground cover: This aspect of watershed health will be increased by adding riparian understory vegetation on approximately 65+ acres, including native sedges, forbs, rushes and grasses. This diversity in primary production will provide a basis for a broader food web in terms of species, extent, and overall biomass.

• Water quality/Nutrient cycling: Adding native vegetation and promoting full forest development will play an important role in shading and filtering water from adjacent agricultural properties as well as floodwater from the Willamette.