Dr. Jim and Janis Gerdemann found the perfect area in the country to retire and create their dream garden: a 3.5-acre piece of property north of Yachats, Oregon, facing the Pacific Ocean and adjacent to the Siuslaw National Forest. Today, some twenty-five years later, the Gerdemann Garden is a woodland garden created in a coastal forest that retains as much as possible of the original vegetation and character of the forest. However, Yachats has become a high-end residential area, and the Gerdemann property could be subdivided into 5 or more residential lots, destroying the garden and its rare plants. The Gerdemanns (now in their 80s) and their friends, including View the Future (a non-profit conservation organization), want to establish an irrevocable easement to preserve access to the garden for the public's enjoyment and education. Future considerations also may include requesting donations and/or attracting a compatible nonprofit organization that might be able to help offset maintenance costs.
