North Fork Smith River – 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 North Fork Smith River COA (67 mi²) extends from the Lane-Douglas county line in the Siuslaw National Forest westward to Roman Nose Mountain. This COA includes a significant portion of the North Fork Smith River and surrounding upland and riparian habitat, including the southern extent of the Siuslaw National Forest. This COA is adjacent to the Siuslaw River, Tahkenitch-Siltcoos Lakes, and Wassen Creek COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance forest and woodland habitats.
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

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
Douglas County
Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District
Lane County
Oregon Department of Forestry
Siuslaw Watershed Council
Smith River Watershed Council
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Forest Service
West Lane Soil and Water Conservation District

Special Features

General

This area contains large blocks of high-quality habitat for sensitive species.

Protected Areas

Siuslaw National Forest

Previously Associated With

Previously Associated with (2006 COAs)
- CR-28 (North Fork Smith River)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -2.2 mi² (3% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings
Off channel habitats

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.

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 …

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.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are habitats that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support vegetation typically adapted for life in sodden soil conditions. While dominated by periods of inundation, the natural ecological cycle may also include dry intervals. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, peatlands, …