WILD RIVERS LAND TRUST
Keeping our wild & working lands forever abundant
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Southern Oregon Coast waters and lands have been heavily impacted by human activity and natural resource extraction over the last 150 years. These impacts include industrial timber harvest, over fishing, and loss of habitat for several species. As a result of these impacts, we have lost critical habitat for the Coho salmon, Marbled Murrelet, and other endangered and critical species in our service area. Wild Rivers Land Trust is committed to restoring habitat while accommodating responsible working lands management. Focusing on a triple bottom line of supporting a healthy environment, a healthy economy and healthy communities will provide benefits to fish, wildlife, and people. The Wild Rivers Land Trust service area encompasses 2.2 million acres on the Southern Oregon Coast, and we hope to protect the remaining critical assets in this special place, and restore areas that have been negatively impacted from past land management practices.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Conservation Easements
We partner with willing landowners to preserve their land through the establishment of conservation easements. This is a voluntary program, and can provide some tax incentives for landowners preserving their land in perpetuity. The Land Trust holds the conservation easements, and ensures the land is managed in a manner intended by the landowner for conservation and future generations.
Conservation Acquisitions
We work with willing sellers to acquire land of high conservation value. We use a formalized determinants (a scoring matrix) that help us make sound decisions for property purchases. We work with partnering organizations, conservation funding sources, and conservation investors to bring more land under conservation management. Increasingly, building in resiliency to watersheds in response to global warming is considered.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Land Trust Alliance Member 2021
Member-Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts 2021
External reviews
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
One area of focus for Wild Rivers Land Trust is in restoring salmon runs to our coastal rivers by protecting or restoring fish habitat, reducing sediment introduction into coastal watersheds, and improving overall water quality and temperature that are critical to the wildlife lifecycles and humans. Wild Rivers Land Trust is committed to restoring habitat while supporting responsible working lands management. We are committed to triple bottom line conservation objectives that positively impact the environment, society, and commerce of the Oregon Coast.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Wild Rivers Land Trust works independently and with partners and landowners to secure land through purchase or conservation easements. Once property is secured, Wild Rivers Land Trust coordinates with our partners and landowners to restore or enhance habitat where it is needed. All land protection is voluntary, and provides a means for private landowners to preserve their land and create a long-lasting conservation legacy to benefit future generations. We look for multiple public benefits for all conservation projects, including sustaining clean air and water sources, recreation and enjoyment of the outdoors, securing critical habitat for endangered or threaten species, and other benefits.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Wild Rivers Land Trust has a talented staff and active Board of Directors that identifies opportunities and then works towards establishing funding mechanisms and relationships to bring more land under conservation management in our service area. Wild Rivers Land Trust has a talented and conscientious Conservation Director with many years of experience as a biologist working on the South Coast of Oregon. He knows the land, water and many of the land owners in our service area, and has an excellent reputation for being knowledgeable and cooperative to ensure the win-win-win is found to benefit the landowners, Wild Rivers Land Trust objectives, and the environment. The Executive Director is both a scientist and engineer, with years of experience in forming partnerships, grant funding and management, and administration. People recognize the special qualities of the Southern Oregon Coast, and Wild Rivers Land Trust welcomes contributions from individuals, philanthropic organizations or corporations to support our conservation efforts.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
To date we have secured over 860 acres of land for conservation, and we have a rich pipeline of projects that will double that amount. These transactions can take time to negotiate with landowners and secure funding, but we are pleased with the pace of projects and the increasing willingness of landowners to work towards conservation goals that align with Wild Rivers Land Trust's goals.
In 2018, the Land Trust submitted an application for accreditation by the national accrediting entity, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The application process is rigorous, and thoroughly reviews the Land Trust's governance, finances, land transactions, and land stewardship standards and practices. WRLT was granted accredited status in August 2019.
In 2019, we have competed one conservation easement covering 160 acres near the Rogue River, and accepted a property donation in May 2019 in the Coos Bay area. Additionally, WRLT completed a transfer sale of National Forest inholding to the US Forest Service in 2019, and retired the loan with Craft3 that was used to acquire the land in 2016. With this transaction completed and all bridge loans paid off, WRLT is now debt-free for the first time since 2013! Additional property donations are anticipated once accreditation is achieved--we have been approached by conservation partners to assume or partner on land acquisitions that will dramatically strengthen our property portfolio in 2020 and 2021. Primary sources for future projects will likely be through the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Land Acquisition Program, and the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program for agricultural easements.
In 2019, we have embarked on growing a Stewardship and Land Acquisition Fund to assist us in completing more projects in the future. One way we are growing this fund is through "sponsor a ton of sequestered carbon" on our conservation lands. The Land Trust's work can specifically mitigate climate change through the protection and enhancement of forests, agricultural grasslands, wetlands and estuaries. We estimate close to 10 million pounds of carbon dioxide is adsorbed by the trees on our protected lands each year, which in turn sequesters about 3 million pounds of carbon, and produces over 6 million pounds of oxygen annually. We estimate we have approximately 100,000 tons of carbon stored on our conservation lands, and we are asking for donations at $10 per ton of carbon sponsorship. The Stewardship and Land Acquisition Fund is hoping to raise $1 million in the next 15 years, through major donor contributions and the "sponsor a ton of carbon" program. By harnessing and optimizing these natural climate solutions, the Land Trust's work is directly working towards positive solutions for climate change, and we are optimistic that donors will want to support us to do more of the good work we do for the region and for the earth.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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WILD RIVERS LAND TRUST
Board of directorsas of 05/26/2022
Jan Hodder
Retired
Term: 2020 - 2024
Barbara Grant
Coos & Curry Soil & Water Conservation District
Jan Hodder
Professor, University of Oregon
Paul Hempel
Retired Corporate Attorney
David Tilton
Retired Attorney
Kammie Bunes
Retired Oregon Parks and Recreation
Bill Divens
Fishing Guide
Alice Yeates
Stewardship Coordinator, South Slough Estuarine Research Reserve
Rod Kramer
Retired Nonprofit Org Director
Dennis Triglia
Retired Scientist
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/18/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.