Earth month begins April 1, 2025, and local land trusts responsible for protecting nearly 20,000 acres of land spanning the McKenzie and Willamette rivers hope residents use the time to volunteer time or donate to the work they do.
With the future of federal funding uncertain for land trusts like Greenbelt Land Trust in Corvallis and the McKenzie River Trust, grant funds, private donors, and mitigation funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board are even more vital.
“The outlook for conservation funding, at least in the short-term — for the next few years, is definitely looking a little murky,” said Matt Benotsch, outreach manager, Greenbelt Land Trust. “We work very closely with people in land management agencies in the federal government, in particular, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. They’ve obviously experienced severe shortages, layoffs, and people losing their jobs.”…