If you’ve been paying close attention to Tillamook’s river banks lately, you’ve probably noticed a lot of young trees peeking their heads above the brush line. Sitka spruce, Western Redcedar, red alder, black cottonwood and big leaf maple are all making a big comeback throughout the watershed. And if you’re familiar with the history of Tillamook’s forests, it won’t surprise you to hear that most of those trees have been planted by hand in an effort to restore riparian areas–the margins of land that border waterways. That comeback is thanks to the work of a group of dedicated local conservationists who have been working with private landowners to fence off riparian areas, remove invasive weeds, and replant with native trees and shrubs. That inspirational team is led by two very important gentlemen: Ray Monroe of the Tillamook County Soil and Water Conservation District (TCSWCD) and Tom McDermott of the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP).

They and their crews have fenced hundreds of miles of riparian buffers and planted roughly 1.3 million trees and shrubs over the last 20 years. Today, as those earliest plantings are coming of age, the rest of us can see the progress being made.

Join the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council (TBWC) tonight in the Hatfield Room of the Tillamook Library as TCSWCD Director Ray Monroe shares this remarkable story. Doors will open at 5:30PM and Ray’s talk will run from 6:00PM to 7:00PM. The TBWC’s regular business meeting will follow the presentation, with updates on habitat restoration projects and Council events. We hope to see you there!