OPB Highlights How Collaboration with Private Landowners Supports White Oak Restoration in Clackamas County

Oak Prairie Working Group member Brendan Addis was recently featured by Oregon Public Broadcasting in the article, “A look at white oak habitat restoration on private land in the Willamette Valley.”

Reported by Sheraz Sadiq of OPB's Think Out Loud, the story highlights the importance of Oregon white oak conservation in the Willamette Valley, where an estimated 90% of historic oak habitat has been lost due to development, land use change, and decades of fire suppression.

In his role as a conservation specialist at the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District, Brendan shares how voluntary restoration efforts on private lands can help recover these declining habitats and the many plants and animals that depend on them.

In the interview, Brendan discusses the district's work supporting private landowners with technical assistance and cost-share programs for oak habitat restoration. The story also features landowner Michael Hayes, who has partnered with Clackamas SWCD since 2024 to restore five acres of Oregon white oak habitat on his property near Oregon City.

Read or listen to the full story