(Photo above: hikers at Whychus Canyon Preserve | by Tyler Roemer)
The Deschutes Land Trust has received a gift of $30,000 for its Campaign for Whychus Creek from Deschutes Brewery. The gift represents the largest corporate contribution to the Campaign, with nearly $1.7 million raised from private individual contributions.
“We’re truly grateful for Deschutes Brewery’s support of the Land Trust. The Land Trust was founded over beers at the Brewery and they’ve been our partner ever since. The Brewery has done so much for the community, but we’re particularly encouraged by their long-term commitment to land conservation in Central Oregon. We hope this gift will encourage others to help us finish the Campaign by June 30th. With only $300,000 left to raise, the finish line is in sight,” said Land Trust Executive Director Brad Chalfant.
“We are committed to doing what we can as community members to help preserve our natural areas. At Deschutes Brewery, we believe that we have a responsibility to help protect these lands and are proud to be dedicated to the Deschutes Land Trust’s mission and the Campaign for the preservation of Whychus Creek,” said Erin Rankin of Deschutes Brewery. The Land Trust will also be the featured nonprofit for Deschutes Brewery’s Community Pint nights every Tuesday in June.
Launched in the fall of 2014, the Land Trust’s goal for the Campaign for Whychus Creek is to finish protecting the highest quality wildlife habitat along Whychus Creek, ensure the permanent care of those lands for generations to come, and engage the community along the way. In the three years of the Campaign, the Land Trust has protected three new parcels of land along Whychus Creek and continued to care for the more than 2,300 acres already entrusted to them.
Most recently, in March of 2017, the Land Trust announced the acquisition and conservation of Willow Springs Preserve. Willow Springs Preserve protects one mile of Whychus Creek and its surrounding meadows for salmon and steelhead to spawn and rear, for songbirds to nest and forage, and for otter and beaver to eventually flourish. The new Preserve includes one mile of Whychus Creek, creekside meadows, aspen and cottonwood stands, and rimrock cliffs.
The Deschutes Land Trust conserves land for wildlife, scenic views, and our local communities. As Central Oregon’s only nationally-accredited and locally-based land trust, the Deschutes Land Trust has protected more than 8,900 acres since 1995. For more information on Deschutes Land Trust, contact us at (541) 330-0017 or visit www.deschuteslandtrust.org.
