Bald Hill Farm is a working landscape located close to the City of Corvallis which today is being managed for its outstanding plant and wildlife value. In 2013 the Greenbelt Land Trust acquired and is protecting a very significant community resource for the people of Corvallis and for Oregonians who visit Benton County. The 587 acre farm which lies adjacent to the City’s Bald Hill Natural Area is protected in perpetuity for residents to enjoy generations to come. The farm is linked by trails to Fitton Green Natural Area and Lupine Meadows and passes through varied habitats of upland prairie, oak savanna, oak woodlands, riparian areas and wetlands. Bald Hill Farm is a working urban farm that supports local food production, recreation and education but also brings people to a confluence with cows, endangered wildlife and plants and where they can enjoy and learn about nature close to town. The property lands combined create a 1,237 acre mosaic of protected lands and miles of trail systems.
Bald Hill Farm is home to three federally endangered plant species, including Kincaid’s lupine Lupinus oreganus (which the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly needs to survive), Nelson’s checker-mallow Sidalcea nelsoniana, and Willamette daisy Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens. The property lies at the core of Benton County’s Habitat Conservation Plan as a keystone site for prairie restoration, a habitat that once dominated the Willamette Valley and of which only 1% remains. The farm also supports 45 different bird species, including Oregon Vesper Sparrows, Western Bluebirds, and Pileated Woodpeckers.
The acquisition and conservation orientated management of Bald Hill would not have happened without the incredible support from the local community, and leadership taken by the Greenbelt Land Trust. Their combined vision, dedication and private investments enabled the purchase and steward the Farm.