(Text by Joanne Kittel & John Theilacker, Co-chairs of View the Future)
For over nineteen years View the Future (VtF) has been working toward the acquisition of what we now call Yachats Ridge, Yachats’ south viewshed of approximately 950 acres. In the last 37 years parts of this property have had 11 owners. VtF has attempted unsuccessfully to negotiate the property’s purchase with 3 of the last 4 owners: Boise, Forest Capital Partners, and Hancock Timber, the latter being a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Negotiations fell through as owner buy-outs happened or the corporations wanted more money than the property’s appraised value. However, Manulife, the current owner and REIT, now appears to be a more willing seller.
For years VtF considered options with committed partners to acquire and steward Yachats Ridge knowing that we were too small of a nonprofit to buy and maintain it by ourselves. But after those options failed, VtF decided to seek a permanent buyer for Yachats Ridge who would help to preserve and physically restore this property, with some or all of it open to public recreation.
View the Future has been partnering in recent years with McKenzie River Trust (MRT), a highly successful regional land trust located in Eugene. We have also joined the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts and the national Land Trust Alliance, and have completed our first 5-Year Strategic Plan. From our collaborative efforts with MRT and completion of our Strategic Plan, our most immediate goal is to raise funds through grants and donations for restoration and long-term stewardship of Yachats Ridge assuming it can be purchased from Manulife. A secondary goal is to fundraise for VtF’s first staff person to help with stewardship of Yachats Ridge, monitoring current VtF conservation easements, and pursue new grant funding. Our hardworking board members and volunteers simply cannot do all that our mission is committed to. Those are our primary goals.
Why fund land restoration rather than acquisition? Funding for property acquisition and preservation is not easy, but finding sufficient funding for restoration and long-term stewardship is much harder to come by. It’s like raising a baby to adulthood. It is not as appealing to funders as is acquisition.
In seeking a permanent owner there is a potential State agency that is interested in acquiring Yachats Ridge: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). Department staff have been in touch with Manulife, Lincoln County officials, and VtF. OPRD would be an ideal permanent owner given their history of site rehabilitation and stewardship and allowing this property to serve the public through “soft” (low impact) recreation. There are still many hoops to jump through, including obtaining our community’s support for OPRD property ownership. Another is raising enough funds by VtF to secure adequate site restoration and stewardship until such time as OPRD would assume ownership and management.
What happens if OPRD does not buy Yachats Ridge? VtF and MRT would continue to pursue the acquisition of the Ridge and an ultimate owner. Regardless of who ultimately owns this mostly forested property, VtF will be fundraising for environmental restoration, the needs for which are significant. If several hundred thousand dollars or more can be raised in the next 6 months, MRT’s Board of Directors will consider being a temporary (bridge) owner until a suitable, permanent owner is found.
VtF’s fundraising goal for Yachats Ridge is $2,000,000 in 5 years, and our campaign is off and running with some community members already making generous donations.
We regularly conduct tours of the property. 
If you are interested in taking a tour or helping with fundraising for the acquisition and environmental restoration of Yachats Ridge, please contact any of our Board members or yachats@viewthefuture.org.
Donations are gratefully accepted either on our website or mailed to View the Future at PO Box 443, Yachats Oregon 97498.
