Local contractor Mark Villers has received the Oregon Governor’s
Take Pride Appreciation Award for his years of service in
conservation and restoration of streams throughout Coos County.
Villers says he remembers how great the stream fishing was in
this area when he was a boy and became involved in restoration
because of his hope to restore the streams to their previous glory.
He said fishing started suffering when the streams were cleared of
fallen trees and brush that created natural dams and protections
for the fish.
“I had a vision of how good the fishing would be if they put the
wood back in,” Villers said. “This is really about restoring
fishing.”
Villers, the owner of Blue Ridge Timber Cutting Inc. of Coos
Bay, has completed more than 97 restoration projects over the last
10 years in streams within a 150 mile radius of the Bay Area.
“I already have half a dozen projects booked for next summer,”
Villers said. “By then I’ll top 100.”
He was especially recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management for his work on Elk Creek, a tributary of the Coquille
River. In this project Villers and his crew placed large trees into
the creek to create additional habitat for fish, in hopes of
restoring the habitats in one of the most important spawning
tributaries for salmon and steelhead in the East Fork Coquille
Watershed.
“Villers has consistently gone above and beyond the requirements
for his contracts,” said Sue Richardson, Coos Bay Bureau of Land
Management District Manager. “He has passion for his work and the
resources he is helping to restore.”
“I want to see fish numbers go through the roof someday,”
Villers said. “I think the number of fish can go up if we keep
doing projects like the one on Elk Creek.”
In addition to hiring local youth for his crews, providing them
with meaningful work, training and a good wage, Villers is known
for his personal commitment to conservation and restoration. He
also donates his time to serve on the Coos Bay District Resource
Advisory Committee and as a speaker in leadership training for the
Bureau of Land Management.
Villers was nominated by Coos Bay District restoration
Coordinator Glenn Harkleroad and received his award from the
Governor’s office on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
“I’m honored they thought to nominate me,” Villers said.
The Governor’s Take Pride Appreciation Award honors a group or
individual for their outstanding work on public lands. It is part
of the National Take Pride in America campaign that aims to promote
volunteerism, install public appreciation and responsibility for
public lands and honor those who have provided outstanding work on
public lands.
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