Greenbelt Land Trust

Greenbelt Land Trust is a non-profit organization whose goal is to enhance and protect the open spaces amenities essential to preserving our quality of life in the Mid-Willamette Valley.

As population continues to increase in the Willamette Valley, careful planning and timely action are essential to assure that open spaces will always provide a balance with the anticipated additional residential and business development. The mission of the Greenbelt Land Trust is to conserve important natural areas in order to enhance our quality of life and sense of place. Conserving large areas of habitats such as oak woodlands and savannahs, wetlands, uplant and wetland prairies and farm and forest lands enables residents and visitors to experience natural areas on a daily basis. In order to endure that these lands remain part of the fabric of our communities, the Greenbelt Land Trust must act without delay to protect our natural areas.

Current Projects:

Bald Hill Farm

Bald Hill Farm is a flagship property for Greenbelt and our community. This 587 acre parcel is located near Corvallis in Benton County, directly adjacent to Bald Hill Natural Area. This Farm integrates sustainable farming practices, public trails, native habitat restoration and education opportunities for our community. GLT has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to permanently protect this magnificant landscape for future generations. The organization is currently in the midst of a $2 million dollar Capital Campaign to raise the funds that will match over $3 million in grant funding. In the Spring of 2011 GLT launched the public phase of the campaign, and are busy getting people out to the property, offering experiences for people to experience the beauty and opportunity of Bald Hill Farm. Visit our website for event details!

Willamette River

GLT is currently working with over 5 landowners in Linn and Benton Counties along the Willamette River to offer creative solutions for protecting their land. These parcels are vitally important to the health of the river and our water ... whether they have historic backchannels of the Willamette River that provide sanctuary for native fish, or they are extensions of near-by natural areas and wildlife corridors. GLT has recieved support and funding from organizations like Meyer Memorial Trust, Bonneville Power Administration, and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to be active in the restoration and conservation of the Willamette River.

In December, 2011 GLT permanently protected a critical 350+ acre property along the Willamette River near Monroe, called Harkens Lake. This property houses a historic side-channel of the River, providing refugia for native fish and wildlife. In 2012 GLT will be creating an intensive restoration management plan for the property, working with existing landowners to contract restoration projects, including planting over 10,000 trees to re-establish historic floodplain forests.

In the Spring of 2012 GLT will be completing the purchase of Horseshoe Lake, a property near Albany, that is host to an incredible ox-bow of the Willamette River. Upon the completion of Horseshoe Lake, Greenbelt Land Trust will have permanently protected over 1,000 acres of crucial Willamette River streambank in the mid-Valley.

For more information on any of our properties, or to get involved in volunteer restoration activities, please visit our website: www.greenbeltlandtrust.org or our blog: www.greenbeltblog.org.