McKenzie River Trust

What McKenzie River Trust does

McKenzie River Trust (MRT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust incorporated in 1990 and headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, with a second field office in Newport. It permanently protects more than 10,000 acres of land across three counties (Lane, Lincoln, Douglas) and seven watersheds in western Oregon — including the McKenzie River basin, Upper Willamette, Long Tom, Umpqua, Siuslaw, and coastal streams from Reedsport to Lincoln City. The organization works with willing private landowners through fee-title acquisitions, conservation easements, and land donations, and conducts large-scale ecological restoration including tidal wetland reconnection, floodplain restoration, oak and prairie habitat enhancement, and prescribed ecological burning. Its most significant project to date is the 217-acre haich ikt'at'uu (formerly Waite Ranch) tidal wetland restoration in the Siuslaw Estuary, completed after 15 years of planning with a total investment of approximately $16 million.

The trust engages five Confederated Tribes (Grand Ronde, Siletz, Coos/Lower Umpqua/Siuslaw, Cow Creek, and Warm Springs) as co-stewardship and land rematriation partners, and collaborates with state and federal agencies (OWEB, EWEB, ODEQ) and timberland owners (Weyerhaeuser) on habitat and source-water protection transactions. It holds Land Trust Alliance national accreditation (third renewal in 2025) and a 4-star Charity Navigator rating.

MRT's revenue model is donation-dependent and multi-streamed: individual memberships (any gift size qualifies, nearly 2,000 member households), the Living River Circle ($1,000+ annual leadership giving), planned/estate gifts via the Confluence Legacy Club, a tiered Business Supporter program ($500-$10,000+ across five tiers, 20+ companies), foundation and agency grants (EWEB, OWEB, Land Trust Alliance, Oregon Community Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund), and a print-to-order merchandise storefront. Volunteer engagement (500+ annually), recurring events and tours (Living River Exploration Days, Snorkeling with Salmonoids, Two Fly Tournament), and digital channels (StoryMaps, blog, social) are used to drive membership, donations, and landowner inquiries. Headcount stands at 21+ staff managed by Executive Director Joe Moll.

Name

McKenzie River Trust

Legal name

McKenzie River Trust

Website

https://mckenzieriver.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McKenzie River Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that permanently protects 10,000+ acres across seven watersheds in western Oregon through conservation easements, fee-title acquisitions, ecological restoration, and co-stewardship with five Confederated Tribes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Sediment Remediation & Dredging (Capping, Removal, Confined Disposal) (EUAIALAG)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easement stewardship
• Habitat restoration projects
• Environmental nonprofit services
• Protected lands management

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: Annual gifts from members provide critical ongoing support for new projects, education and outreach, and matching dollars for large grants. Gifts of any size qualify as membership. Sustaining members provide monthly recurring gifts.
2. Living River Circle: Leadership giving program for individuals contributing $1,000 or more annually in unrestricted donations supporting clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and productive natural lands.
3. Planned and Estate Giving: Legacy giving through bequests, retirement plan designations, and life insurance policy designations. Members of the Confluence Legacy Club have included MRT in their estate plans.
4. Business Supporter Program: Annual unrestricted gifts from businesses directed toward operating expenses. Tiers include Conservation Champions ($10,000+), Conservation Investors ($5,000–$9,999), Sustaining Partners ($2,500–$4,999), Partners ($1,000–$2,499), and Supporters ($500–$999).
5. Grants: Funding from foundations and government agencies including a $1 million matching grant from EWEB in 2000 and OWEB grants supporting land acquisitions and restoration projects.
6. Earth Care Interfaith Fund: Partnership with local faith leaders to support tree planting and carbon sequestration through community donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

McKenzie River Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that protects and restores land in western Oregon through fee-title acquisitions, conservation easements, and land donations from private landowners. The organization also performs large-scale ecological restoration (tidal wetlands, floodplains, oak and prairie habitat, prescribed burning), manages volunteer and community engagement programs, and pursues land rematriation with tribal nations. Revenue is derived from individual donations, business supporters, foundation and government grants, and planned/estate gifts.

Product overview

McKenzie River Trust operates as a nonprofit land trust offering a portfolio of conservation services rather than a technology product. Its core offerings center on land conservation tools (fee title acquisitions, conservation easements, land donations), property management of protected lands across western Oregon, and habitat restoration services including tidal wetlands, floodplain restoration, and oak/prairie habitat work. The organization supplements its conservation mission with community engagement through volunteer programs, events, and tours, plus donor programs including the Living River Circle (major donors $1,000+/year) and Confluence Legacy Club (planned giving). Merchandise is available through an external print-to-order platform. No software products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Easements

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ acres of land permanently protected in western Oregon
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• City of Lincoln CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026City of Lincoln City acquired 300 acres of former timberland in the Schooner Creek watershed as part of their Source Water Protection program. MRT's Central Coast Conservation Program Manager Margaret Treadwell provided technical expertise throughout the acquisition, guiding negotiations and due diligence. The project protects drinking water and restores habitat.
• GSI Water SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Partnered with the City of Lincoln City and MRT on the Schooner Creek source water protection acquisition.
• WeyerhaeusercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Weyerhaeuser sold 175 acres of high-priority habitat to MRT at Gate Creek in May 2025, and also partnered on the Schooner Creek source water protection acquisition. The Gate Creek acquisition reflects collaboration between conservation organizations and industry partners to protect both commercial timber and natural habitats.
• Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Collaborated with City of Lincoln City and MRT on the Schooner Creek source water protection acquisition.
• Oregon Department of Environmental QualitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Through the Drinking Water Protection Program, ODEQ supports communities, land trusts, and watershed councils in protecting forests and headwaters that provide clean drinking water. MRT participates in these coalitions across Oregon's central coast.
• Cameron McCarthy Landscape ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 July 2026Partnered with MRT and the City on the Finn Rock Landing redesign project, incorporating community feedback into the improved recreation site.
• Delta Sand and Gravel CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 July 2026Contractor that completed construction on the Finn Rock Landing improvement project including defined parking, pedestrian safety routes, gathering areas, and bird-friendly lighting.
• Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CLUSI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026CLUSI partnered with MRT on the haich ikt'at'uu tidal wetland restoration (217 acres in the Siuslaw Estuary), a $16 million project 15 years in the making. CLUSI's restoration projects manager Dan Kirk led the levee breach ceremony. The project also included land rematriation with CLUSI approving the new name for the property, meaning 'heart of the river.' Chief Doug Barrett performed ceremonial blessings.
• Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Fisheries staff from the Nez Perce Tribe and CTUIR harvested adult Pacific Lamprey at Willamette Falls, collected DNA samples, and released them into the upper Long Tom River in June 2025 as part of a decades-long restoration initiative involving MRT.
• Siuslaw Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partners from CLUSI, Siuslaw Watershed Council, and MRT collaborated on the Siuslaw River Estuary restoration project beginning in summer 2023. The watershed council continues to support restoration activities at haich ikt'at'uu.
• Siuslaw Coho PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018MRT is one of nine members of the Siuslaw Coho Partnership, a collaborative group centered around Coho salmon recovery. The partnership includes state, federal, tribal, and non-profit partners working together to bring critical investments and expertise to the Siuslaw and Coastal Lakes basin.
• Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000EWEB awarded MRT a matching grant of $1 million for land protection in the McKenzie watershed in 2000. This grant and OWEB contributions funded the purchase of Green Island (~1,000 acres at the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers), MRT's most significant success to date. The EWEB funds provided leverage for an additional $3.8 million invested in the Lower McKenzie River. MRT also works with EWEB on source water protection given that EWEB owns very little land in the McKenzie watershed.
• Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000OWEB contributed to the purchase of Green Island alongside EWEB funding. OWEB also provided the $750,000 grant enabling MRT to acquire the Waite Ranch (haich ikt'at'uu) site in 2010.
• Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Provided support for MRT's Many Rivers Program expansion in 2000, which extended operations to seven additional watersheds in western Oregon, establishing MRT as a regional land trust.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deschutes Land Trust: Central Oregon land trust operating under the same fee-title and conservation easement model across a defined regional geography. Highly comparable in scale, funding model, and reliance on individual donors, business supporters, and foundation grants.
• Columbia Land Trust: Pacific Northwest land trust focused on the Columbia River region. Operates a similar conservation easement, fee-title, and habitat restoration portfolio with comparable staffing and donor base in Oregon/Washington.
• Pacific Forest Trust: West Coast-focused land trust specializing in forest conservation easements and climate-smart forestry. Highly comparable model and a likely partner/competitor for forested easement deals in western Oregon.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Oregon): Largest global conservation nonprofit with deep Oregon operations. Competes for the same landowner deals, restoration projects, and major philanthropic dollars but with a vastly larger capital base and broader geographic reach.
• Trust for Public Land: National land conservation nonprofit that acquires and protects natural lands, parks, and working lands. Operates in Oregon with similar conservation easement mechanisms and competes for the same public funding pools.
• Ecotrust: Pacific Northwest conservation and economic development organization with a broader programmatic scope. Less of a direct land trust competitor but competes for regional philanthropic capital and partners on conservation finance initiatives.

Regional players

• Wetlands Conservancy: Oregon nonprofit dedicated to wetland conservation, restoration, and education. Overlaps with MRT's tidal wetland and floodplain restoration work (e.g., haich ikt'at'uu) and competes for the same state/federal wetland restoration grants.
• Lower Nehalem Community Trust: North Oregon coast community land trust with similar conservation easement, restoration, and community engagement model. A smaller-scale analogue operating in adjacent coastal geography.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National umbrella and accreditation body for land trusts. Not a competitor but the governing body that grants the accreditation MRT has earned three times and a key ecosystem partner for policy, training, and standards.
• Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB): State agency that funds watershed restoration and land protection across Oregon. OWEB is a major grantmaker for MRT's acquisitions (e.g., Waite Ranch) and a funder/partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mckenzrivrtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mckenzierivertrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/McKenzieRiverTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mckenzierivertrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/mckenzierivertrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McKenzie River Trust