22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
How will rising sea levels
impact our wetlands?
MANZANITA — Join the
Lower Nehalem Watershed
Council on Thursday, May
10, as we welcome Fran
Recht of the Pacific States
Marine Fisheries Commis-
sion for the next install-
ment of our Speaker Series
exploring sea level rise and
“landward migration zones.”
This free, public event
will be held at the Pine
Grove Community House,
225 Laneda Ave., in Manza-
nita. The presentation will
start at 7:20 p.m. following
an update from the Water-
shed Council at 7 p.m.
Recht’s presentation will
show the results of a study
that projected the heights
of different sea level rise
scenarios onto the Nehalem
estuary and estuaries up and
down the coast. Recht will
also discuss work done to
help watershed councils and
other conservation organi-
zations plan for conserva-
COURTESY NORTH COAST LAND CONSERVANCY
Broom-busting at the North Coast Land Conservancy’s
Reed Ranch Habitat Reserve in Warrenton in May 2017
CINAMON MOFFETT PHOTO
Normal tide at Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge
tion and restoration of the
areas that may be our future
tidal wetlands.
The tidal marshes and
swamps of our estuaries
Just for the Fun of It!
music from the 60’s and 70’s
North Coast Chorale
featuring Rev. Tim from KMUN
are vitally important areas
for salmon and many other
species. These habitats
exist in a narrow elevation
band between the lowest
and highest tides. As sea
level rises, will our current
marshes become mudflats
or be submerged? Will
marshes be able to reestab-
lish on higher ground?
Recht, habitat program
manager for the Pacific
States Marine Fisheries
Commission was the project
manager, on behalf of the
MidCoast Watersheds
Council for the sea level
rise modeling project.
This presentation is
part of the Lower Nehalem
Watershed Council’s regular
Speaker Series.
This year, we’re raf-
fling off a gift certificate or
special item from a local
business supporter during
each event. This month we
have a $25 gift certificate
from Manzanita News &
Espresso.
Raffle tickets will be
available for a $5 donation
at the door, and the winner
will be drawn at the end of
the presentation.
FRIDAY NIGHT
Prime Rib (first come) $ 22
with baked potato, salad and
garlic bread
SATURDAY MORNING
Breakfast Buffet 9 AM -Noon
with all of the Workers favorite foods!
Performing Arts Center (PAC)
Franklin & 16th
Friday, May 18 at 7pm
Sunday, May 20 at 2pm
Tickets at $10
ENTERTAINMENT
Two Crows Joy (folk bluegrass)
May 12th, 2018
MEAT BINGO
6:30 PM every Sunday night
a 35-year tradition at Workers
281 W. Marine Drive
Astoria • 503-338-7291
Time to bust
some broom
Each May, North Coast
Land Conservancy staff
and volunteer focus on
removing invasive Scotch
broom on our properties.
We call it Broom Buster
Month.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 12, we will
be busting broom at Surf
Pines Prairie Habitat Re-
serve, which the Conser-
vancy had been managing
for several years and
recently acquired. It is
located off U.S. Highway
101 just north of Gearhart.
Volunteers will also get
a look at early blue violets
in bloom and other native
prairie species as they
work on eradicating the
Scotch broom.
If you’re interested in
helping, contact Stew-
ardship Director Melissa
Reich at 503-738-9126 or
melissar@nclctrust.org to
let her know you’re com-
ing and get directions.
Wear sturdy boots and
gloves. Bring loppers if
you have them; otherwise,
all equipment will be
provided. Bring drinking
water and lunch; there will
be no toilets or potable
water on site. Dogs are not
allowed on Conservancy
properties.
Coastal property
owners are encouraged
to remove Scotch broom
and other invasive plants
from their own prop-
erties during Broom
Buster Month as well.
Visit NCLCtrust.org/bust-
broom-in-your-backyard
for more information and
tips.
Widely planted and
admired in the early 20th
century for its bright
yellow blossoms, Scotch
broom outcompetes native
plants and is turning our
open coastal prairies into
a monoculture of dense,
weedy shrubs, destroying
the habitat many coastal
animals need to survive.