Our boots are in Oregon’s wetlands. Founded in 1981, The Wetlands Conservancy is the only organization in Oregon dedicated to working in partnership with communities statewide to permanently protect, conserve and restore Oregon’s greatest wetlands. In collaboration with public and private sector partners, we have conserved some of Oregon’s greatest wetlands within the Oregon Central Coast, Harney County and the Willamette Valley. Our work has also included ownership, enhancement and stewardship of 500 acres of wetlands in the Portland Metro region.
Wetlands are vital to our health and the health of our environment. They clean and recharge our water supply, provide critical fish and wildlife habitat, and protect our communities from floods. Wetlands are beautiful to look at and magical to experience. They are some of the most biologically rich and productive lands in Oregon.
To partner with communities across our state in conserving, enhancing and restoring the physical and ecological values of Oregon’s greatest wetlands for current and future generations.
We are dedicated to conserving and promoting wetlands to support fish and wildlife, clean water, open space, public safety, and people’s appreciation of nature. We work at different scales—from an individual property to a regional landscape—to support these interconnected systems.
We build community, creating strong, long-lasting relationships within our organization and with our diverse partners. We believe in respectful collaboration, rather than adversarial confrontation, leads to innovative and long lasting solutions.
We implement our mission through the best available science and research. Along with our partners we collect, analyze and disseminate critical data to support wetlands conservation, restoration and education.
We empower people to explore and discover how wetlands play a vital role in their everyday lives, inspiring them to protect and preserve wetlands throughout Oregon. We collect and share the stories of Oregon’s greatest wetlands, making room for people of all ages to participate.
Within our organization and the partner network that makes wetlands stewardship possible across Oregon, we are continually learning, experimenting and adapting—enhancing the capacities of human and natural systems to adapt and thrive as conditions change.
Taking the long view, we create conservation and restoration opportunities through proactive leadership and planning. We develop the science, the restoration plan, and the partnerships that create a legacy and instill a commitment to wetlands stewardship in future generations.
Photo Credit: Top: Russel Tomlin, Interconnection: Kris Schamp, Community: Russel Tomlin, Science: Heather Chapin, Resilience: Mike Annes.