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Friday, November 5, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3 Land conservancy purchases Rainforest Reserve By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian The North Coast Land Conser- vancy has taken ownership of an iconic coastal rainforest above Arch Cape and Oswald West State Park. The purchase of the 3,500-acre property — previously industrial tim- berland — comes at a time when a number of North Coast communities are looking at ways to protect their drinking water sources. The Rainforest Reserve includes headwater streams for fi ve watersheds and supplies drinking water to Cannon Beach and Arch Cape. Some plants and animals at home in the towering peaks that visually defi ne the reserve for local communities are found nowhere else on Earth. When combined with other neigh- boring protected or soon-to-be pro- tected lands, the reserve creates an uninterrupted 32-square-mile con- servation corridor that runs from the Onion and Angora peaks above Can- non Beach and Arch Cape to the near- shore ocean off Short Sand Beach in popular Oswald West State Park. U.S. Rep Suzanne Bonamici called the purchase a “remarkable accom- plishment that will signifi cantly benefi t our region in many ways.” “As we address the climate cri- sis, strategic, community-driven con- servation eff orts like this project can help mitigate the most serious risks to plants, fi sh and wildlife while pre- serving the ecosystems we cherish for future generations,” the Oregon Demo- crat said in a statement. Ecotrust Forest Management bought the 5,000 forested acres known as Onion Peak Holdings from Stimson Lumber Co. in 2016. That same year, the for-profi t subsidiary of Ecotrust entered into an agreement with the North Coast Land Conservancy to hold 3,500 acres of the property until the nonprofi t could purchase the land. The Arch Cape Water District is pursuing the remaining 1,500 acres in order to secure full ownership of Arch Cape’s watershed and create a commu- nity forest. A purchase could be fi nal- ized by next summer. North Coast Land Conservancy Katie Voelke, the executive director of the North Coast Land Conservancy, leads a tour at the Rainforest Reserve property before the nonprofi t purchased it. The reserve includes important habitat and is home to rare animals and plants. The land conservancy has pushed for the reserve for more than a decade and it is certainly the most ambitious project they have tackled, said Katie Voelke, the executive director. Besides the scale of the project, there was the cost. After signing a pur- chase and sales agreement in 2016, the land conservancy launched a fi ve-year eff ort and $10 million fundraising cam- paign to acquire the acreage. In 2021, the cost increased unex- pectedly to $11.8 million. An appraisal of the property, required ahead of pur- chase, came back refl ecting a his- toric high in lumber prices tied to sup- ply-and-demand issues exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. It may be tempting to think of the purchase as an ending, Voelke said. But, she added, “really it’s the begin- ning of the rest of the story.” The land conservancy will need to create a fi nal stewardship plan for the reserve that spells out how the prop- erty will be managed and what kind of public access and recreation will be allowed, among other details. For now, public access at the Rain- forest Reserve will not change, though some areas will be closed because they are dangerous or sensitive. People can still walk into the reserve to hike or hunt for deer and elk. Daytime access only. No camping. Not every property the organiza- tion conserves is open to the public, but Voelke is adamant that the reserve needs to be one that is. “It’s wild, it’s huge, it’s tall,” she said of the reserve. “You’re in the clouds. You’re above the rain. All this incredible coastal wildness and it’s just right there. You can get to it. You can go for a day hike and have one of the most incredibly rich experiences on the coast, and we all need that. “We need it for ourselves. For our sanity.” Up until the purchase documents were signed on Tuesday, Voelke found herself getting nervous when she was out in the reserve. “Because the more I’m out there, Hood to Coast: ‘It’s become a much better event’ the more I know how irreplaceable this particular place in the world is and how terrible it would feel to fail at this vision that we have,” she said. Grants provided about $4 million for the purchase of the land. The rest of the funding came from numerous donors, including people from all walks of life and political backgrounds: People who hiked around the property as kids or who have hunted there all their lives. It was a place they had been to and seen and cared deeply about. Years from now, Voelke hopes the conservation of the Rainforest Reserve will seem inevitable — maybe even a little unremarkable, a natural course of events. “Like, of course this happened,” she said. Sunrise breaks on steep peaks in the new Rainforest Reserve above Arch Cape and Oswald West State Park. Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Mandate: ‘The dynamics around COVID are constantly changing’ Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 event. In a typical year, the relay earns almost $1 mil- lion for the Providence Can- cer Institute. “We had another great year,” Floyd said. “I do want to acknowledge we need to get better every year, to make sure we remain wel- coming visitors to the community.” The 198-mile relay from Mount Hood to the Prom brought thousands of people to the coast. Before the City Coun- cil meeting, Hood to Coast CEO Jude Hubber met with city staff . Social media was the No. 1 concern for Montero. “I paid a lot of attention to what was going on on Face- book,” she said. “And there were some very awful peo- ple saying very awful things. And one of my policies is, ‘Don’t tell me something’s happening if you didn’t see it happen.’” Montero suggested greater marketing eff orts from Hood to Coast and The park district pol- icy comes with a stipula- tion for booster vaccina- tions as time progresses. Prior notice of at least four weeks will be given to employees. Since the start of the pandemic, about 10 dis- trict employees have tested positive for the virus, six or seven of those before vaccines were available, Archibald said. Three employees tested positive in 2021 and none since August. “The dynamics around COVID are constantly changing, but I feel confi - dent that we’re doing our part to keep the commu- nity and our patrons safe,” Archibald said. R.J. Marx People gather on the beach during Hood to Coast in August. making it easier for the pub- lic to register complaints with race offi cials, possibly via a Quick Response code with a weblink to relay offi - cials, or signage on vans. “We’ll continue to have open dialogue with every- body here in this room, out- side this room to make sure that we continue to be wel- come members and contrib- uting members to this com- munity,” Floyd said. Next year is the last of the fi ve-year Hood to Coast con- tract with the city. In 2022, the relay will pay more than $30,000 to the city. The event is scheduled for Aug. 26 and Aug. 27. In 2015, City Councilor Randy Frank moderated a workshop where he and local business owners com- plained about rude behavior by runners, arrogant organiz- ers and vendors who tapped into private power supplies. “It’s become a much bet- ter event,” Frank said. “And not only here, but all the way along the route, whether it’s restrooms or volunteers. ... It just gets smoother every year, and it was great having it in town.” 2022 Medicare ????’s Art Fleming 503-421-5844 artinportland23@gmail.com License #6257252