Coos Bay – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Chicken Point, Coos Bay Photo Credit: Mike Gray, ODFW

Encompasses Coos Bay and surrounding habitats. Includes the towns of Coos Bay and North Bend.

COA ID: 043

Recommended Conservation Actions

Restore freshwater wetlands
Restore tidal wetlands and reconnect tidal sloughs where feasible and appropriate

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Important Bird Areas of Oregon
Oregon Habitat Joint Venture

Potential Partners

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
The Nature Conservancy
The Wetlands Conservancy
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Forest Service
Wild Rivers Land Trust

Special Features

General

Provides habitat for many rare plant species
Provides significant high quality habitat for wintering and migrating waterfowl and shorebirds

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CR-31 (North Bend Dunes)
2006 COA ID CR-34 (Coos Bay area)

Protected Areas

Conde B. McCullough State Recreation Site
Wetlands Reserve Program
Coquille Tribe Of Oregon
Matson Creek
North Spit
Oregon Dunes
Oregon Islands Wilderness
Siuslaw National Forest
SPC Stewardship
Sunset Bay State Park

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon’s Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Strategy Habitats

Coastal Dunes

Occurring along the Oregon coastline, coastal dunes provide habitat for species that prefer open, sandy habitats with a high degree of disturbance from winds and tides.

Estuaries

Estuaries occur where freshwater rivers meet the oceanic salty waters, are influenced by tidal flooding, and experience frequent periodic changes in salinity, water levels, sunlight, and oxygen.

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

Late Successional Mixed Conifer Forests

Late successional mixed conifer forests provide a multi-layered tree canopy, including large-diameter trees, shade-tolerant tree species in the understory, and a high volume of dead wood, such as snags and logs.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land. For the purposes of the Conservation Strategy, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes.

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are covered with water during all or part of the year. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, and marshes, while seasonally wet habitats include seasonal ponds, vernal pools, and wet prairies.