Press Release

Feb. 17, 2003

PFT Helps Owner Realize Dream of Protected Forest

Linn County, Ore. -- In an innovative pact designed to sustain a healthy stand of working forest in perpetuity, the Pacific Forest Trust has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to protect 118 acres of Douglas-fir, grand fir and western hemlock trees in the Willamette Valley foothills east of Salem.

The agreement fulfills the wish of the property's late owner, Ford Wilke, who worked to nurse an overgrown Christmas tree farm back to natural conditions. He willed his property to The Nature Conservancy, granting permission for the organization to resell it on condition that the wooded portion should be sustainably managed. A conservation easement given by the Conservancy to the Pacific Forest Trust guarantees that the forested site will remain intact and undeveloped while being sustainably managed as a productive woodland.

The property has been resold to a private owner, and, under the terms of the easement, PFT will monitor management of the woodland.

Laurie Wayburn, PFT's president, said the arrangement showed how "landowners can benefit the charity of their choice -- whether it's a church, a university or a conservation group -- and still ensure lasting protection for their land legacy."

"This is a wonderful illustration that conservation easements aren't just for 'special properties' that must be completely set aside, but can ensure a legacy of restoration and sustainable management for productive woodlands," said Wayburn. "Mr. Wilke and The Nature Conservancy wanted to preserve the forestland, and the purchaser wanted to manage it in a way that would provide enjoyment as well as revenue. With this easement, everyone gets their wish."

The easement is the second concluded in Oregon by PFT. The first, covering 7,200 acres in Lincoln County, is the largest forest conservation easement in the state.