Bull of the Woods, North – State Wildlife Action Plan

Photo is needed for this COA. — Submit photos to: OCS.Revision@ODFW.Oregon.gov

Geographic boundaries of the COAs were updated for the 2026 State Wildlife Action Plan and the associated COA profiles are intended to provide additional information. Content of each COA profile is being refined and will be updated to reflect current conditions when feasible. Please help us by submitting information on Local Conservation Actions, Plans, or Potential Partners to: OCS.revision@odfw.oregon.gov.

The Bull of the Woods, North COA (27 mi²) is located along the northern edge of the Bull of the Woods Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest. This COA contains portions of the Collawash River and its tributaries, which feed into the Clackamas River further downstream.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Create quality rearing habitats for salmonids, improve in-stream habitat complexity.
Decommission unused roads.
Improve and maintain forest health; use prescribed fire to attain desired future condition.
Increase vegetated buffers on non-fish bearing streams to protect water quality, and micro-habitat for sensitive amphibians. Minimize road construction near these streams to reduce impacts on amphibians.
Manage grazing and recreational uses to protect fish and wildlife habitat and protect water quality.
Manage historic mine sites for bat conservation.
Protect and improve headwater stream habitats
Protect and restore riparian and wetland habitat, expand riparian reserve boundaries, enhance amphibian breeding sites, replace culvert that impede amphibian passage.
Reduce inputs of herbicides, fertilizers and other chemicals.
Retain and protect forest openings and meadows for wildlife habitat diversity

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This COA provides important habitat for many fish, amphibian, and bat species. The habitat is dominated by mixed conifer forest. The Collawash River in this section flows through a steeply sloped canyon, and provides spawning habitat for natives fish.
This COA has been affected by fire in recent years. Multiple smaller fires have burned through and adjacent to this COA since 2018, including the Collawash Fire, Riverside Fire, Bull Complex Fire, and Sandstone Fire. Interestingly, these fires have all burned along the edges of this COA and not directly impacted the internal habitat greatly.

Protected Areas

Bull of the Woods Wilderness
Mount Hood National Forest

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- WC-04 (Bull of the Woods area)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -18.0 mi²(40% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Cliffs, Rimrock, Rock Outcrops, Talus
Forest Openings
Old-growth Douglas fir forest
Rock Habitat: Talus
Seeps, Springs (Hot and Cold), Headwaters

Ecoregions

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Key Habitats

Late Successional Mixed Conifer Forests

Late successional mixed conifer forests provide a multi-layered tree canopy, including large-diameter trees, shade-tolerant tree species in the understory, and a high volume of dead wood, such as snags and logs.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land that were formed through geological processes, such as glacial scouring, tectonic movements, volcanic activity and river meander cutoffs. In Oregon, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes. Depth is not a reference for characterization of …

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.