Tillamook Forest Stories: Yassin Diboun

The Tillamook Rainforest is many things to many people and other creatures. It’s home to fish and wildlife, including wild salmon and steelhead that feed ecosystems and fuels local economies. It’s a place of refuge, sustenance and play for thousands of residents every week. It’s a source of clean water and air that millions of Oregonians rely on every day.

In this video series, WSC and the Protect the Tillamook campaign are telling the stories of a handful of forest users and their place in the Tillamook. Put together, they speak to the importance of this landscape for all kinds of Oregonians.

Yassine Diboun is an ultramarathoner, professional coach and business owner. And he spends a lot of time training in the Tillamook. He uses the forest not only to get his miles in and develop his trainees: he goes there to feed to his soul.

“Some people go to the mosque or church. I go to the Tillamook.”

Outdoor recreation is such an important part of Oregon’s economy and our culture.

Statewide it’s a $15 billion industry. On the North Coast alone, fishing, hunting, birding, trail riding and other activities contribute $500 million to the local economy every year.

Access to outdoor recreation on public lands consistently ranks as one of the most important parts of life for Oregonians. They won’t trade it for anything.