Willow-Witt Ranch - Pacific Forest Trust

Willow-Witt Ranch

Working Forest Conservation Easement

Nestled in the Southern Cascades, Willow-Witt Ranch is a model of sustainable land management. This conservation project protects 445 acres of meadows, forests, and wetlands, ensuring long-term ecological resilience and preserving vital habitats while supporting organic farming and climate-smart forestry.

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In 2021, Suzanne Willow and the late Lanita Witt reached out to the Pacific Forest Trust to begin the process of protecting Willow-Witt Ranch, a place they have called home for more than 35 years. Situated at the headwaters of Frog Creek and Babe Creek, within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM), the ranch plays a crucial ecological role in the region. Willow-Witt Ranch is a treasure of biodiversity and its conservation helps protect the ecological integrity of the CSNM.  

Willow and Witt, having restored the land after years of overgrazing and overharvesting, aim to perpetually conserve their legacy and maintain the ranch’s ecological and community values. Working in partnership with PFT, the goal is to use a conservation easement to ensure the ranch continues to support its organic farming, exemplary forest management, and environmental education, while protecting its unique important habitats and threatened species. Despite Lanita’s passing in 2022, Suzanne has continued the work to permanently protect the ranch. Now she and PFT are seeking funding to purchase the easement and provide for the lasting legacy of Willow-Witt Ranch. 

This project represents a significant step in further connecting conserved private lands to the broader landscape within the boundaries of the CSNM. The Monument, dedicated to conserving globally outstanding biodiversity, relies on such linkages for wildlife adaptation and resilience against climate change.  

“Lanita and I were committed to conserving our legacy of land stewardship; protecting it through working with PFT will ensure that our goal is fulfilled.” — Suzanne Willow

Why Conserve this Property?

Saves Habitat

Willow-Witt Ranch provides critical habitat for a variety of species, many of which are threatened by climate change and habitat loss. The ranch’s diverse ecosystems, including wet meadows, montane riparian woodlands, and old-growth conifer forests, serve as refuge for wildlife such as the yellow-legged frog, Shasta pebble snail, Sandhill cranes, and great grey owls. The Ranch supports a thriving population of northwestern pond turtles, unusual at that elevation. The ranch’s water-rich soils and spring fed creeks also buffer against droughts and heatwaves, creating ideal conditions for species to thrive. By permanently protecting these habitats, Willow-Witt Ranch will always be a haven for wildlife – sustaining world-class biodiversity.

Why Conserve This Property?

Benefits Natural Water Systems

As the headwaters of Frog and Babe Creeks, Willow-Witt Ranch provides clean, spring-fed water to the Middle Rogue and Upper Rogue watersheds, benefiting downstream agriculture and communities. Threatened steelhead salmon downstream rely on the ranch’s pristine water flows. With 17 springs, nearly 6 miles of streams, and water-saturated wetlands, the ranch plays a key role in maintaining the region’s hydrology and water security in a hotter, drier world.

Why Conserve this Property?

Mitigates Climate Change

Willow-Witt Ranch plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change through its healthy forests, meadows and wetlands, which capture and store carbon. The ranch’s active forest management focuses on improving forest health and restoring older, more resilient tree stands, which sequester more carbon while reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires that release carbon into the atmosphere. Additionally, the ranch’s wetlands and waterways help regulate local temperatures and humidity levels, offering a natural buffer against the increasingly severe  heatwaves and droughts.  

Why Conserve This Property?

Supports Local Economy

Willow-Witt Ranch plays a vital role in the local economy by supporting sustainable enterprises that benefit both the environment and the community. The ranch produces organic eggs, milk, vegetables, and livestock, providing fresh, locally sourced food. Additionally, it offers environmental education, recreational trails, and eco-tourism opportunities, drawing visitors to experience the natural beauty of the ranch as well as the CSNM . Willow-Witt Ranch also hosts Oregon’s first green burial ground and a pet cemetery, further diversifying its community services and offerings.  

Connecting a Larger Forest Landscape

Butte Creek Map

Located in the Cascade-Siskiyou region of southern Oregon – outstanding for its biodiversity — Willow-Witt Ranch serves as a crucial link in the area’s conservation network. This 445-acre property helps connect public lands in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, contributing to the ecological integrity of the Monument and its a rich mosaic of habitats. Willow-Witt Ranch’s conservation is another piece to in the puzzle of this vital landscape, alongside other PFT- conserved properties within the CSNM and along the Siskiyou Crest, such as the Mountcrest Working Forest and our Mt. Ashland Demonstration Forest. 

Who Lives There?

Many species call Willow-Witt Ranch and the surrounding landscape home. Learn more about the species that reside in this area.

This Project Conserves Diverse Habitats

Several unique habitats make up Willow-Witt Ranch. Explore a few of the habitats that support a range of wildlife.

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