Chehalem Ridgetop to Refuge
Planning and conservation › Natural areas, parks and trails › Protecting natural areas › Acquiring natural areas › Chehalem Ridgetop to Refuge
The northern end of the Chehalem Mountains provides opportunities for the protection of large, undeveloped tracts of forestland to protect water quality and wildlife connections from this mountain range to area river bottomlands.
Goals and objectives
Learn about the goals and objectives for habitat and water quality protection in the Chehalem Ridgetop to Refuge target area. View maps illustrating the Metro Council's priorities in this area and learn more about the importance of the area to our region.More
Territorial views come into public ownership with purchase and donation
Luisa Ponzi and Eric Hamacher, an Oregon winemaking family, agreed to the sale and donation of 40 acres of rare oak and madrone forest on the western slope of the Chehalem Ridge to Metro in early 2008. The property includes a donation of 4 acres, valued at $236,700.
Madrone trees protected at Chahalem Ridge
Oak and madrone forest habitat is rare in the Northern Willamette Valley and is found on only a small percentage of properties within the region's system of protected natural areas. The site's large, mature Oregon white oak and madrone trees provide valuable habitat to many important wildlife species, such as Western gray squirrels, white-breasted nuthatches and acorn woodpeckers.
This is the first Metro acquisition in the Chehalem Ridgetop to Refuge area.
To stay informed about the natural areas program, get on the natural areas mailing list by calling 503-797-1741 or sending email to metroparks@oregonmetro.gov.
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Chehalem Ridgetop to Refuge goals and objectives
Learn about the goals and objectives for habitat and water quality protection in the Chehalem Ridgetop to Refuge target area. View maps illustrating the Metro Council's priorities in this area and learn more about the importance of the area to our region.