I visited the Coos Bay Boardwalk and continued walking south which turned into a self-guided walk along a paved lane. There are a few historical markers along the walk which highlight current or former buildings and structures along the route. The following verbiage is taken from the watershed website (link below) to highlight its history:
The Coos Watershed Association (CoosWA) was formed in 1993 by a diverse group of local stakeholders. The State of Oregon had suggested that communities form voluntary advisory groups for government spending on coho habitat improvement, in hopes of staving off “threatened” status for the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Initially, landowners were concerned that an ESA listing would create regulatory barriers to their economic activities.
The group that began to gather in the Coos watershed decided to first find representatives of every possible local interest affecting the watershed. As those different watershed users began talking together, they agreed that the real problem wasn’t “coho.” It was the lack of any easy system for sharing information, ideas and collaborative opportunities to address watershed health in a non-governmental and non-regulatory context.
As a result, they created an independent nonprofit that could provide the necessary information network, help develop specific collaborative projects, serve as an intermediary with regulatory agencies, and itself directly receive and expend government and private grant funds for projects in partnership with any interested landowner.
The board structure was designed to ensure continued representation and equality among all points of view, and the group together created a Statement of Shared Values and mission affirming their purpose: to work collaboratively to test and seek solutions for more sustainable practices serving combined environmental and economic goals.
Since 1994 the nonprofit Coos Watershed Association has adhered to that mission and those values. We have earned and retain the trust and confidence of a wide variety of landowners and land users, and serve as a helpful bridge between the private sector, regulatory agencies, and local governments. Our science team develops reliable watershed health data in partnership with state and federal agencies, and our project managers help landowners design and find funding for on-the-ground projects that improve the health of their lands and the watershed.
As of 2018, CoosWA has attracted and expended more than $20,000,000 in the watershed, with most of that money going to local contractors and suppliers.
My posted coordinates place you at the beginning of the self-guided walking path leading south.