Andrea Scharf, a Yachats area resident since 1994, is the founder of View the Future (VtF). It was her vision in 2003 to create a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that would work in partnership with other entities to preserve and restore the Yachats Viewshed.
A coalition of like-minded individuals, mostly from the Yachats community, met and began to process to apply for federal status as a tax-exempt organization, under section 501c(3) of the IRS code. A land conservation group, the Central Coast Land Conservancy, served as an umbrella group until the application was approved. VtF also applied for and received approval from the state as a not-for-profit corporation.
Under Andrea’s leadership and tenacious initiatives, the organization and partners tried three times to acquire the south viewshed—the expanse of timbered ridges that forms the backdrop to the town of Yachats. At the same time, VtF took on additional preservation projects such as the Gerdemann Botanical Preserve and the acquisition of several conservation easements. Support came from Yachats residents as well as visitors who are drawn to the area by the lush forests and fast-flowing rivers, an attraction that Andrea sought to maximize through projects to increase access to the stunning scenery surrounding the town. Local nonmotorized recreational projects—advocating for, building, and maintaining trails—became both a rallying call and an opportunity for volunteers to get involved. Andrea worked on grant applications, developed vital partnerships, and was a prolific advocate and speaker for the environment. Retiring from the board in 2015, she returned as a volunteer, continuing to work on a variety of projects.
Andrea has worked as a teacher, co-founder, and manager of the Portland Saturday Market, small business owner, city planner, freelance writer, marketing director, and association manager. Immediately after retiring from the VtF board, Andrea spent three years researching and writing Saving Big Creek, the story of how a persistent group of activists worked for almost forty years to block a multi-million-dollar resort south of Yachats, in the process rescuing 186 acres of forest, riverfront, and beach, saving an endangered butterfly and expanding opportunities for citizen involvement in land-use decisions in Oregon. Her book showcases this herculean effort and provides an inspiring model for others to persevere.
