The Sitka Wetlands property covers a 25-acre area along the North edge of Nehalem Bay. The property consists of 13.5 acres of tidally influenced forested and scrub shrub freshwater wetlands, ½ acre of intertidal salt marsh, 5.5 acres of scrub shrub uplands, and 5.5 acres of palustrine forested and shrub wetlands. This property, like others the Trust owns and manages, provides wildlife habitat for birds, mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, including species that are threatened, endangered, or of special management concern.
The Sitka Wetlands Story
Sitka spruce swamp, such as the one present on this property, was historically one of the most common coastal habitats in Oregon. Due to human activities such as logging and wetlands conversion it is now one of the rarest, making the protection of remaining Sitka spruce swamp critically important.
LNCT bought 19 acres of the Sitka Wetlands property in 2011 as part of the Trust’s campaign to protect undeveloped and valuable habitat lands on the North edge of Nehalem Bay. The trust was awarded grant funding from OWEB, ODFW to purchase the property. Additionally, the Trust purchased an additional adjacent 5-acre property in 2015 to expand the protected area. Ruth Simpson generously sold her property at a bargain price to LNCT in 2015. This habitat is now protected in perpetuity for its valuable land and wildlife characteristics.
