Coburg Ridge Acquisition

Accomplishment: Protection of more than 1,200 acres with remnant native prairies and oak woodland and savanna habitats in the Coburg Hills.

Location: Coburg Ridge, just north of Springfield (Lane County).

Partners: The Nature Conservancy, Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jaqua Family.

Notes: The Nature Conservancy’s new 1,244-acre Coburg Ridge Preserve, established in 2007, includes significant remnants of the formerly widespread prairies and oak savanna and woodlands that are now among the most threatened habitats in the Willamette Valley. The rare habitats found on Coburg Ridge provide a haven for some of the valley’s most vulnerable species – including one of the four largest remaining populations of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, several threatened plant species, and a variety of at-risk birds and other wildlife. The long-time owners of the property, John and Robin Jaqua, sold the conservancy a permanent conservation easement and donated more than $3.8 million to an endowment for long-term management and restoration. Funding for the $5.3 million easement – a price the Jaqua family discounted $1 million below its appraised value – included $4.9 million from the Bonneville Power Administration’s wildlife mitigation program and a $400,000 endangered species grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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