Saddle Mountain – State Wildlife Action Plan

Saddle Mountain in Oregon's Coast Range ecoregion. Photo Credit: Herman Biederbeck, ODFW

The Saddle Mountain COA (33 mi²) extends from the forest outside Gearhart eastward into the Coast Range. It primarily contains private timber land, skirting just to the north of the Saddle Mountain State Natural Area. This COA creates a contiguous chunk of habitat along with the Clatsop Plains, Necanicum Estuary, Necanicum River, and Tillamook Head COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and restore existing habitat and ecological function, ensuring sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife.

Maintain and enhance in-stream watershed functions, connection to riparian habitat, water flow and hydrology; specifically focused on improved habitat for coho salmon and chum.

Plan future habitat change to maintain key ecological functions and habitats.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

Contains important areas for wildflowers (including Cardamine pattersonii endemic to Saddle Mountain and Onion Peak)
Plan future habitat change to maintain key ecological functions and habitats.
Maintain and restore habitat values and assets.

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- CR-06 (Saddle Mountain)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: – 28 mi²(46% decrease)

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

Estuaries

Estuaries are broadly defined as partially enclosed coastal bodies of tidally influenced water with one or more inputs of freshwater, and with a free or intermittent connection to the open sea. Estuaries typically occur at locations where freshwater from rivers, streams, or creeks meets saltwater from the nearshore ocean, creating a tidal basin that experiences frequent …

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.

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, …