With the pressures of politics over the past few months, I feel the need to…
Lane County includes some of my favorite places. When I look at a map of Lane County, each compass point beckons with interesting destinations.
To the north we have the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers and the Coburg Hills. Our waterways are a network of rich habitat providing corridors for birds and wildlife throughout the region. Clean water assures survival for aquatic species and animals that depend on them, such as fish-eating birds. Clean water provides for our own needs as well. Further north, the broad fertile Willamette Valley holds a few remnant wetland habitats, providing open moist areas attractive to migrating shore birds and their predators.
The natural areas are fringed with oak savanna, an important food source for nut-eating birds such as Acorn Woodpeckers, Band-tailed Pigeons, and jays. Oak trees are also a source of many insects for the smaller insect-eating birds. Agriculture dominates the sprawling valley to the north, and hedgerows are the main bird habitat there. From my first visits to Oregon as a child, I have loved the dark green hills framing the bright green valleys.
To the west, the Coast Range offers wonderful remnants of old-growth habitat in just a few areas, keeping a small population of big-tree-dependent species alive. As the old-growth forests disappear, the animals that have lived there for millennia will die. Efforts to stop the logging seem to have failed, and I fear the value of these pristine areas will be lost.
Further west, beyond the Coast Range, lies the big blue pulsing expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Oregon’s coast has world-famous beauty and delicate sand dune habitat. The coast is also a migration route for shore birds, arctic nesting birds, and other species that fly north to their eventual breeding destinations.
Milder temperatures at the coast allow the birds to move north and wait until inland temperatures are warmer. Then they fly inland to their breeding areas. Spring migrations of birds and other animals still follow an ancient ritual, despite human presence and disturbances. The coast’s rocky shores, open ocean, estuaries, and mud flats provide diverse habitats for birds.
In Eastern Lane County the deep woods, waterfalls, lakes, and lava beds are a treasure trove of mountain pleasures to explore. Northeast Lane County has the McKenzie River Valley leading to the Three Sisters Wilderness. This densely vegetated land rises up to 10,000-foot-high peaks of barren alpine habitat. The southeastern route takes you to reservoirs, Salt Creek Falls, and the pristine Waldo Lake. These and other high lakes are microhabitats drawing birds from the surrounding area. The interface of the lake and the forest fringe allows us to see birds coming to the water.
The road south goes through Creswell and Cottage Grove, where the valley tapers up to the sweep of the surrounding hills. Reservoirs are tucked along the watersheds to the south and east. Few settlements go deep into the woods in this area.
Each part of Lane County is still rich with potential for preserving habitat. We have a treasure of habitat variety here, with ecological value beyond our dollar-based economy. Our open lands are worth our attention. We are the caretakers and advocates for those that cannot speak. These habitats are worth preserving for their innate value to life forms with wings, tails, horns, claws, scaly skin, and hooves.
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