Corvallis Area Forests and Balds – Oregon Conservation Strategy

This are spans the Greasy Creek and Marys River Drainages south and west of Philomath, is bordered to the west by Kings Valley, and continues through the hills west and north of of Corvallis and Adair Village through the Maxfield, Berry Creek and Soap Creek Drainages at the southerly boundary of Polk County.

COA ID: 081

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance remnant native wet prairie and upland prairie
Maintain and enhance wetlands, ponds, and associated uplands to support northwestern pond and western painted turtle habitat
Maintain or enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology
Maintain or restore riparian habitat and ecological function, ensure sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife
Remove invading conifers and non-native vegetation from oak savanna and woodlands
Restore floodplain wetlands. Promote early detection and suppression of invasive weeds.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Special Features

General

Area contains several locaitons of upland prairie including Bald Hill Park, Bald Hill, Carson Prairie (within Dunn Forest), and butterfly meadows
Area contains some of the best yellow-breasted chat habitat in the ecoregion (E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area)
Area includes several important places for wildlie including McDonald Forest, Soap Creek, Dunn Forest, Maxfield Creek, Jackson-Frazier wetland, E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area
Area provides migratory stopover areas for waterfowl and shorebirds (E.E. Wilson; ephemeral wetlands)
The Newton Creek watershed on the north side of Philomath includes more than 400 acres of wetland with good restoration potential. The Greenbelt Land Trust has been working to protect and restore this large wetland complex, including a 65-acre privated parcel to the northwest containing wet prairie, ash swales and riparian corridor along Newton Creek.
There are ongoing habitat restoration and protection efforts for forest, wetland, oak, and prairie habitats by Greenbelt Land Trust, the City of Corvallis, and Benton County, including the recent purchase of the 587ac Bald Hill Farm and Mulkey Ridge west of Corvallis.

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID WV-19 (Corvallis area)

Ecoregions

Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley ecoregion is bounded on the west by the Coast Range and on the east by the Cascade Range. This long mostly level alluvial plain has some scattered areas of low basalt, and contrasts with productive farmland and large urban areas. It has the fastest-growing human population in the state resulting in challenges due to land-use changes.

Strategy Habitats

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

Oak Woodlands

Oak woodlands are characterized by an open canopy dominated by Oregon white oak.

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are covered with water during all or part of the year. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, and marshes, while seasonally wet habitats include seasonal ponds, vernal pools, and wet prairies.

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest Openings

Strategy Species

Acorn Woodpecker (Observed)

Melanerpes formicivorus

Bradshaw’s Desert Parsley (Observed)

Lomatium bradshawii

California Myotis (Observed)

Myotis californicus

Chipping Sparrow (Observed)

Spizella passerina

Clouded Salamander (Modeled Habitat)

Aneides ferreus

Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus clarki clarki

Common Nighthawk (Observed)

Chordeiles minor

Fender’s Blue Butterfly (Observed)

Icaricia icarioides fenderi

Fringed Myotis (Observed)

Myotis thysanodes

Grasshopper Sparrow (Modeled Habitat)

Ammodramus savannarum perpallidus

Hoary Bat (Observed)

Lasiurus cinereus

Kincaid’s Lupine (Observed)

Lupinus oreganus

Lewis’s Woodpecker (Observed)

Melanerpes lewis

Nelson’s Checkermallow (Observed)

Sidalcea nelsoniana

Northern Red-legged Frog (Observed)

Rana aurora

Northern Spotted Owl (Observed)

Strix occidentalis caurina

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Observed)

Contopus cooperi

Oregon Vesper Sparrow (Observed)

Pooecetes gramineus affinis

Peacock Larkspur (Observed)

Delphinium pavonaceum

Purple Martin (Observed)

Progne subis arboricola

Short-eared Owl (Observed)

Asio flammeus flammeus

Silver-haired Bat (Observed)

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Southern Torrent Salamander (Modeled Habitat)

Rhyacotriton variegatus

Photo is needed for this Strategy feature.

Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly (Observed)

Euphydryas editha taylori

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Observed)

Corynorhinus townsendii

Western Bluebird (Observed)

Sialia mexicana

Western Gray Squirrel (Observed)

Sciurus griseus

Western Meadowlark (Observed)

Sturnella neglecta

Western Painted Turtle (Observed)

Chrysemys picta bellii

Northwestern Pond Turtle (Observed)

Actinemys marmorata

White-breasted Nuthatch (Documented)

Sitta carolinensis aculeata

Willamette Daisy (Observed)

Erigeron decumbens

Willow Flycatcher (Observed)

Empidonax traillii

Yellow-breasted Chat (Observed)

Icteria virens auricollis

Strategy Spotlight: Bald Hill Farm

Bald Hill Farm is a working landscape located close to the City of Corvallis which today is being managed for its outstanding plant and wildlife value. In 2013 the Greenbelt Land Trust acquired and is protecting a very significant community resource for the people of Corvallis and for Oregonians who visit Benton County. The 587 acre farm which lies adjacent to the City’s Bald Hill Natural Area is protected in perpetuity for residents to enjoy generations to come. The farm is linked by trails to Fitton Green Natural Area and Lupine Meadows and passes through varied habitats of upland prairie, oak savanna, oak woodlands, riparian areas and wetlands. Bald Hill Farm is a working urban farm that supports local food production, recreation and education but also brings people to a confluence with cows, endangered wildlife and plants and where they can enjoy and learn about nature close to town. The property lands combined create a 1,237 acre mosaic of protected lands and miles of trail systems.

Bald Hill Farm is home to three federally endangered plant species, including Kincaid’s lupine Lupinus oreganus (which the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly needs to survive), Nelson’s checker-mallow Sidalcea nelsoniana, and Willamette daisy Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens. The property lies at the core of Benton County’s Habitat Conservation Plan as a keystone site for prairie restoration, a habitat that once dominated the Willamette Valley and of which only 1% remains. The farm also supports 45 different bird species, including Oregon Vesper Sparrows, Western Bluebirds, and Pileated Woodpeckers.

The acquisition and conservation orientated management of Bald Hill would not have happened without the incredible support from the local community, and leadership taken by the Greenbelt Land Trust. Their combined vision, dedication and private investments enabled the purchase and steward the Farm.