Lane County: Celebrating our Habitat Diversity

If you look at a map of Lane County, each compass point beckons with interesting destinations. Anyone new to the area will find good bird watching in every direction. To the north we have the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers near 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. Heading north, the broad fertile Willamette Valley holds a few remnant wetland habitats, providing open moist areas attractive to migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The few natural areas are fringed with oak savanna, an important food source for nut-eating birds such as acorn woodpeckers, band-tailed pigeons, jays, and white-breasted nuthatches. Agriculture dominates the sprawling valley to the north, and hedgerows are the main bird habitat there.

To the west, the Coast Range gives wonderful remnant 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 we will learn too late the value of these pristine areas.

The big blue pulsing expanse of the Pacific Ocean lies beyond the Coast Range. Oregon's coast has world-famous beauty and delicate sand dune habitat. The coast is a migration route for shore birds, arctic nesting birds, and other species that fly north to their eventual breeding destination. The milder temperatures of the coast allow the birds to move north and wait until the inland temperatures are warmer, then they fly inland to their breeding areas. The spring migration of birds and other animals follows an ancient ritual in spite of human presence and disturbance. The coast also has rocky shores, open ocean, estuaries, and mudflats, all of which provide diverse habitat for birds.

Eastern Lane County has deep woods, waterfalls, lakes, and lava beds that are a treasure trove of mountain pleasures. The Cascades mountains invite more exploration. Northeast Lane County has the McKenzie River Valley leading to the Three Sisters wilderness. This is densely vegetated land rising up to 10,000-foot-high peaks of barren alpine habitat. The southeastern route takes you along reservoirs, to Salt Creek Falls and pristine Waldo Lake. The 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. In summer the mountain wildflowers put on a showy display and also provide food for hummingbirds on their southward migration along the ridge tops.

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 the variety of habitats, whose value goes beyond the 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, fins, scaly skin, and hooves.