NAO is excited to spotlight nonprofit members, share their success stories and exciting news, and raise awareness of their cause and the impact these amazing nonprofits make in our communities.

Our spotlight this month is North Coast Land Conservancy (NCLC) in Clatsop, Oregon. They have been members of NAO since 2009, and we were excited to learn more about NCLC from their Communications Director, Katherine Lacaze.

North Coast Land Conservancy (NCLC) is celebrating their 40th anniversary! NCLC has been working since 1986 to conserve and care for the landscapes of Oregon’s North Coast, from the Columbia River south to Siletz Bay and from the Coast Range west to the Pacific Ocean. NCLC began when a group of neighbors met around a kitchen table in Seaside and considered a new way to approach conservation. They wanted to protect beautiful, natural areas cooperatively rather than confrontationally, to engage the whole community to do what was best for people, plants, and wildlife. By 1986, NCLC had a name, an eight-member board of directors, and perky logo featuring a favorite wetland bird, the marsh wren.  

Since then, NCLC has protected almost 14,000 acres of land in Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties, and their mission ensures that they continue to care for them, in perpetuity. This includes mountains, forests, wildflower prairies, rivers, streams, and wetlands. These places are valuable because they are: 

  • Home to endangered plant and animal species 
  • Capture and sequester carbon 
  • Contribute to larger, healthier wildlife corridors 

NCLC most recent strategic plan continues to guide their work to enhance climate resilience, expand conservation corridors, and facilitate community conservation.  

“At any given time, staff are working on two to 10 acquisitions, which often take two to 10 years to complete,” Katherine explained. “Projects are prioritized based on our 20-Year Conservation Plan, which focuses attention on high-priority ecosystems, such as the Coastal Edge mountains and Tillamook Head.” 

In just the past year, NCLC has brought four new parcels into permanent protection, three of which are expansions of current NCLC properties. These include: 

  • The 2nd Street Habitat Reserve in Gearhart (conserved in September 2025) 
  • The Circle Creek Habitat Reserve expansion in Seaside (conserved in December 2025) 
  • The Blind Slough Swamp Habitat Reserve expansion near Knappa (conserved in December 2025) 
  • The Rainforest Reserve expansion in the Coastal Edge, near Arch Cape (conserved in January 2026) 

Katherine pointed to the support of their day-to-day work that allowed these acquisitions, totaling more than $1.25 million, to be realized. “With 15 full-time staff, along with seasonal contractors, our core operations capacity to protect and rehabilitate properties with high ecological value has significantly increased since the organization’s inception four decades ago,” she explained.

Like many nonprofits, NCLC relies on a strong network of volunteers who support them in diverse ways, from helping with stewardship and marine activities to serving on committees, bolstering their outreach efforts, and completing administrative tasks. They are always looking for more volunteers, and prospective volunteers can fill out a Volunteer Inquiry Form to get started. 

Anyone interested in getting involved with NCLC can also check out these upcoming events:

  • Together in Nature (TIN) Program: NCLC would like to invite members of the public to join us outdoors for a season of workshops, nature outings, stewardship events, and other activities on coastal habitat reserves and at the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve.
  • Weed Warrior Wednesdays: This event is for volunteers who like to get outside regularly to help eradicate invasive species so native plants can thrive. The best way for people to find out what’s going on at NCLC is to check the Events page on our website.
  • 40th Anniversary Celebration: NCLC will be celebrating our 40th Anniversary with a party on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Circle Creek Conservation Center in Seaside. Check out their website for more details! 

We appreciate Katherin for connecting with us and highlighting the incredible work North Coast Land Conservancy is doing in supporting the beautiful Oregon nature. To learn more or to support their initiatives, please visit their website at https://nclctrust.org/.