The View VTF 2026 February Newsletter

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Director's Message:

"We preserve, protect, and enhance the natural environment through collaborative actions for scientific, educational, recreational, cultural, and economic goals that benefit the Yachats community and its future generations."

 I was given the book Finding the Mother Tree by Susan Simard without knowing much about her or her research. Like many meaningful things in my life, the book arrived at just the right moment. It renewed my desire to spend time in the Siuslaw National Forest—and changed how I experience it. Forest ecologist Susan Simard’s research reminds us that forests are not collections of individual trees, but living communities—interconnected systems that share water, nutrients, and information in ways that support the health of the whole. I now walk these forests with a deeper awareness of the connections beneath my feet and the living systems that sustain us all. When forests are intact, they are resilient. When those connections are broken, everything downstream is affected. We see this every day in the Siuslaw National Forest, right in our backyard. This coastal forest is a true wonderland of interdependence—where healthy trees protect waterways, sustain wildlife habitat, and stabilize the landscapes that shape our rivers and estuaries. The health of the forest is inseparable from the health of our water. 

Simard’s work also offers a caution: removing large, old trees or fragmenting forest systems can disrupt these natural networks, weakening a forest’s ability to recover and putting watersheds and wildlife at risk. Protecting forest health, therefore, is about far more than trees—it is about long-term stewardship of water, habitat, and the systems that sustain life. At View the Future, we believe forests teach us something essential about community. Just as forests thrive through connection and care, so do people. When we protect and invest in these living systems, we strengthen the entire network—upstream and down.

In gratitude

Gretchen

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Volunteer Spotlight  John Theilacker: View the Future Co–Chair 

John discovered Oregon’s central coast in the 1990s and returned to Yachats, with his wife, Kathy in 2020, after retiring from a 40-year career in land use planning, 24 of which in conservation work with The Brandywine Conservancy in Pennsylvania. Now in his 4th Co-Chair, and 5th year as a board member of View the Future, he applies his expertise to protect Yachats’ natural resources and enhance its vibrant community.

John has dedicated his life to conservation and cares deeply about the place he calls home. He often describes Yachats as his favorite place to be—especially when walking his dog, Otto. For John, Yachats stands out as an exceptional community: walkable and welcoming, with a vibrant mix of shops and services, a stunning river estuary and rocky coastline, and an abundance of trails and passive parks, including the beloved 804 Trail. It serves as a gateway to extraordinary outdoor recreation and is enriched by the many friendly, engaged residents who generously give their time and resources to strengthen both the community and the surrounding environment. John's knowledge about land preservation, conservation easements, and his acumen for administration have been and continue to be so valuable to our mission.  John has enhanced our area conservation efforts with landowner outreach and cultural and ecologically significant property identification in our area. We are lucky to have John leading the way alongside his Co-Chair, Joanne – they make a great team!!

Conservation Corner:

Watershed Health and Safety

Protecting the Yachats River Watershed & Riparian Area

Our waterways, riparian areas, and forest/meadow lands are vital to the health of our ecosystem and are among our community’s most treasured natural resources. Long-standing issues of debris runoff, garbage dumping, and human waste have raised environmental, public health, and safety concerns that create long term degradation to the environment and our community. Where these conditions exist, we encourage you to communicate your concerns with the property owners first, and, if to no avail, to local agencies who can help coordinate the intervention required for cleanup and restoration.

Thanks to the support of our local County and State agencies, garbage dumping, and human-caused debris on properties, waterways and natural areas can be cleaned up. Local resources to contact are: 

• Lincoln County Planning & Development: For code compliance issues on private property.     https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/376/Code-Compliance

  
  

• Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office:  For trespassing and littering on private and public land.     https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/215/Sheriffs-Office

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• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ):   For environmentally harmful situations that cannot be resolved at the local level.

  https://www.oregon.gov/deq/get-involved/pages/file-pollution-complaint.aspx

  
  

This work is vital to repairing existing damage, preventing long-term environmental harm, and safeguarding water quality, trees, and habitat. It reflects a broader understanding that protecting the local waterways, forestlands and meadows requires proactive monitoring, early intervention, and strong community collaboration. These guys depend on it….

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Action Alert

1.25% For Wildlife Bill

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Partners Protecting:

The 804 Rehabilitation project is underway. Those of you who walk the 804, have noticed the project in action thanks to many View the Future volunteers in partnership with Oregon State Parks Rangers.  This is not a project for the faint of heart; lots of shoveling rocks and moving large portions of gravel and trail barriers to protect it from water erosion. Go for a stroll and check out the progress! Thank you to all the volunteers who have shown up for this hefty lift! This partnership would not be possible without the support of the Fireside Inn 804 dollar opt out program donating funds to VtF for the benefit of trail restoration. Thank you Fireside Inn!

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Stay tuned for View the Future's Annual Report coming soon.

Please donate

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Please Donate

Together we can preserve and enrich

our shared future for generations to come.

View the Future, Inc. is an 501(c)(3) nonprofit; therefore, your contribution is fully tax-deductible.