It’s OFFICIAL! After nearly 40 years of effort by the community to protect Botts Marsh, located just north of Wheeler in Tillamook County, it has finally come to fruition. On June 24, Botts Marsh was acquired by Lower Nehalem Community Trust (LNCT). This acquisition would not have happened without the persistent work by the community to protect the 30-acre salt water marsh from development. Special thanks is due to the North Coast Land Conservancy who, earlier this year, partnered with Craft 3, a regional non-profit, who provided a bridge loan to purchase the property, allowing time for LNCT to complete Federal and State grant requirements.
The acquisition of Botts Marsh is a part of the LNCT effort to “Protect the Edge” of Nehalem Bay. Botts Marsh is an intact salt marsh that provides habitat for more than 125 species of birds and is a critical rearing habitat for Chinook and Coho salmon. Conservation of the marsh also provides an opportunity to educate the public about intertidal wetlands and how they provide a variety of ecological services. These range from fish and wildlife protection to flood control, and carbon sequestration – important factors in off-setting climate change.
Funding for the acquisition was provided by gifts from individual donors, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through its North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant program.
It is not without notice that our community cares about our natural world. That is evident in the support of our many volunteers, donors and partners. On behalf of all of us at the Lower Nehalem Community Trust – thank you!
LNCT protected habitat almost doubles in just two years
For more information about the Lower Nehalem Community Trust (LNCT), go to https://www.nehalemtrust.org/