Land Stewardship

A driving force behind everything we do is our belief in the importance of being good stewards of the land.

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The Importance of Stewardship

Mt. Adams Country is truly a remarkable place, rich in natural assets, history and culture. A 12,000 foot-plus volcano punctuates a landscape of rolling forests and farms, volcanic buttes and dramatic river canyons, broad valleys and the Columbia River Gorge. Varied habitats reflect the influence of dramatic changes in elevation and precipitation, providing home to an abundant and diverse array of plant and wildlife species. It is a place where the lush, wet forests of the Westside mix with the dry pine savannas of the Eastside. It is home to two of Washington’s three designated “wild and scenic” rivers, the only nesting population of greater sandhill cranes in the state, and one of the last strongholds of the Oregon spotted frog.

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While the decline of certain wildlife species and habitats is often linked to human-caused pressures, such as resource extraction and development, there is growing consensus among diverse stakeholders that people and communities have to be a part of solutions to these challenges. Locally, our communities have embraced the notion that restoring forests and watersheds to conditions that are more resilient to wildfire, insect epidemics, and climate change presents a real opportunity to develop a new economy focused on stewardship and based in the capacity and knowledge that already exists here.

More Than a Buzzword

“Stewarding” the resources that serve as a foundation for our communities certainly means different things to different people. For us, “stewardship” means taking care of the land and resources by combining the best available science with local knowledge, while striving to maintain the ecological integrity of these landscapes. To this end, our interest in land stewardship cuts across most if not all of our programs and projects. See Programs.