Historic family lands and endangered salmon habitat conserved with Tribal support

Molalla, Oregon — May 20, 2025 — An ecologically significant and treasured stretch of land along the Upper Molalla River, held by the same family for over a century, has now been permanently conserved with a conservation easement thanks to a partnership among CNLM, the Rowan family, Oregon Department of Fish and Game, and the Bonneville Power Association. The newly established Molalla River and Forest Preserve protects 143.9 acres of mixed forest and riparian habitat, and 0.9-mile stretch of the river —providing critical habitat for endangered salmonids, protecting old growth forest, and honoring the cultural heritage of indigenous communities. The conservation effort was supported by the Confederated Tribes of  the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, whose ancestral ties to the land date back thousands of years

The Preserve connects to an 11-mile conservation corridor managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which leads to the Table Rock Wilderness. This natural continuity enhances the conservation value of this property and bolsters the quality of habitat for many fish and wildlife species, including Chinook salmon and winter steelhead—both listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The land, purchased by the Davies-Rowan family in 1914, has remained under their stewardship ever since. In the 1940s, when the local timber company began constructing a new logging road along the river, Arlene Davies Rowan, family member and the property’s caretaker at the time, noticed that the company was grading near the river’s edge. She included a stipulation in the landowner’s contract requiring the road to be built at least 1,000 feet from the confluence of Trout Creek and the Molalla River. As a result, this one-mile stretch of the Molalla River remains the only section that has been undisturbed for centuries. The family’s connection to the land endured— and it was through their dogged commitment to ensuring the land’s ecological and cultural values are protected forever that this conservation easement was finalized in 2024.

A Sanctuary for Salmon and Culture

The Preserve is designated as critical habitat for Federal-listed salmonids and functions as a cold-water refugia for these species and others—an essential lifeline for fish facing rising temperatures due to climate change. The native fisheries of the Molalla River are culturally significant to indigenous tribes of the area. Once abundant, these species (salmon, Pacific lamprey, and others) have experienced drastic declines compared to historical populations levels. Culturally significant plants are also present, such as salal, salmon berry, huckleberry, and blackberry.  Tribal interests incorporated into the Preserve include space for ceremonial use, traditional lodge building, fishing, and plant harvest.

Protection in Perpetuity

The conservation easement, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program (WWMP), ensures that the Preserve will remain undeveloped and ecologically intact. CNLM will be responsible for long-term conservation easement monitoring and defense, with support from an endowment established for this purpose.

As part of the management strategy, the land will experience minimal human impact: invasive weeds will be controlled, forest succession allowed to proceed naturally.

The conservation of the Molalla River and Forest Preserve is a rare convergence of history, habitat, and heritage. It represents a shared commitment to honoring the past while securing a resilient future for Oregon’s rivers, forests, and Indigenous traditions.

A note of gratitude from the landowner and CE grantor, William Rowan:

“As the fourth generation caretaker of the Davies-Rowan property. I would like to thank the individuals and organizations that have been instrumental in preserving 150 acres in perpetuity, including the ONLY mile of the Molalla River Basin that still exists as it was a thousand years ago. 

 First, I would like to thank my ancestors, especially my paternal grandmother, Arlene Davies Rowan, who was the second generation caretaker and fought hard to protect the property from logging and development. It was to her credit during WWII that a proposed private logging road would NOT run adjacent to the side of the Molalla River but instead veer off and be a minimum of 1000 feet from the River as it passed through the Davies-Rowan property. 

 Second, would be my father, Edward D. Rowan Sr., who was the third generation caretaker. 

Over the years until his death he negotiated with the private and governmental organizations that wanted to run power lines (PGE) as well as the City of Molalla’s wooden water pipeline and dam on Trout Creek. 

 Third, would be my wife, Monica Haskell, who in 2012, was not yet my wife but gave me important counsel and assistance when searching for partners to create a conservation easement. 

And fourth, similar to a clean up batter-in baseball, would be my son, Ian Rowan, who upon a chance, moved to the property in 2019, and became the guiding light, accumulating in 6 years of correspondence with all the agencies involved and finalizing a CONSERVATION EASEMENT in November 2024. 

The last group that made the Conservation Easement a reality are the following;

Financial Support 

     Gerald Fritz

     Sheila Rowan 

     Chris Cannon

Guidance 

 Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (Laura Tesler)

     Center for Natural Land Management 

           (Deborah Rogers & Michelle Labbé)

     Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde

           (Lawrence Schwabe)

      The Warm Springs Tribe

      The Bonneville Power Administration