Mill Creek – State Wildlife Action Plan

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 Mill Creek COA (5 mi²) is located at the eastern edge of the Coast Range Ecoregion, northwest of the town of Dallas. This small area extends along Mill Creek and includes Dorn Peak and a checkerboard of private and public land ownership. This COA is adjacent to the Red Prairie – Mill Creek – Willamina Oaks South COA.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain high quality wetland and wet meadow habitat.
Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology.
Maintain and restore riparian habitat and ecological function; ensure sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This COA includes a significant stretch of Mill Creek and its surrounding habitat.
This are provides habitat for many Strategy Species, including songbirds, amphibians, and Oregon’s native turtles.

Previous COA Associations

Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -11 mi²(69% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon's Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Key Habitats

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

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.

Example of Oak Woodlands, which is a Strategy Habitat within the State Wildlife Action Plan

Oak Habitats

There are several oak habitat types in Oregon, where oaks comprise most of the canopy. These can include oak woodlands, oak forest, oak chaparral, and riparian oak. Oak savanna is covered in the Grasslands Key Habitat. Oaks may also co-dominate a canopy in oak/fir, oak pine, and oak hardwood habitats.

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.