Harney County Land Use Plan

Jan. 6, '10 - ONDA comments on Harney County's proposed amendments to its zoning ordinance.

Aug. 18, '09 - ONDA comments on Harney's County's proposed comprehensive plan revisions.

South Steens Horse Gather

(related Steens Mountainroad construction lawsuit).

South Steens Water Development

Feb. 20, '09 - BLM rescinds its decision to go forward with dozens of water development projects within the Wilderness Study Areas and two ONDA-proposed wilderness areas. Project would have violated (among other laws) BLM's duty to "not impair the suitability" of WSAs for future preservation by Congress as wilderness.

Oct. 7, '08 - ONDA comments on BLM's South Steens AMP EA proposal to install water developments within WSAs and ONDA-proposed WSAs on Steens Mountain. Related resources: (1) map showing projects that would fall withing 3 mi. of sage grouse lek sites (1.7MB); (2) ONDA field report evaluating proposed project locations (6.6MB); (3) map of ONDA's proposed WSAs within BLM's Andrews Resource Area; and (4) an example of ONDA's documentation of routes properly classifed as "ways" or "primitive roads" rather than roads (which BLM argues these routes are), which preclude protection as wilderness.

Jan. 26, '07 - ONDA submits scoping comments on BLM's South Steens Water Development proposal to build up to 17 water developments within the Donner und Blitzen and Blitzen River Wilderness Study Areas.

Steens Mountain Wind Turbines Proposal

Aug. 26, '09 - ONDA and 19 other conservation organizations submit comments to BLM on its notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement ("EIS") for the North Steens transmission line proposal.

July 23, '09 - ONDA and 16 other conservation organizations send letter opposing industrial wind energy development within a protected area on Steens Mountian to Columbia Energy Partners, the company trying to place wind turbines within the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area.

Jan. 23, '09 - As ONDA and Audubon staff prepared to ask the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council to evaluate its jurisdiction over the North Steens applications, the developer (Columbia Energy Partners) announced to the Council that it had withdrawn the pending applications. While we expect that the developer will submit new applications for the same sites in the future, we will continue to insist that the developer fully complies with the law to ensure the protection of wildlife and scenic resources on Steens Mountain.

Jan. 14, '09 - ONDA, the Audubon Society of Portland, and 15 other concerned conservation organizations submitted comments on the two pending applications for industrial wind energy development on North Steens Mountain (see a map of the development area).

Nov. 30, '08 - Plan to build wind turbines on Steens Mountain generating controversy.

Aug. 15, '08 - ONDA comments on applications to Harney County Planning Commission seeking to build a 400 megawatt industrial wind power facility on Steens Mountain. See press release.

West Warm Springs AMP EA

Nov. 14, '08 - ONDA comments on this BLM proposal to develop an allotment management plan ("AMP") and expand the current network of range projects on this 300,000 acre area northwest of Steens Mountain. ONDA's concerns include flaws in BLM's internal evaluation of our Buzzard Creek proposed Wilderness Study Area, the agency's refusal to study an alternative that would protect wilderness values in that area, and the negative impacts to sage grouse of the project and continued overgrazing.

Slickear/Claw Creek Forest Restoration Project EA

Sept. 12, '08 - ONDA comments on BLM proposal to reduce juniper north of Steens Mountain. Although ONDA largely agrees with the project's purpose of reducing invasive juniper to restore sagebrush habitat, it is disappointed with BLM's flawed wilderness evaluation process. BLM rejected ONDA's Silvies River proposed WSA based on flawed inventory and analysis methods and definitions.

Steens Mountain Travel Management Plan

May 21, '07 - ONDA comments on BLM's proposed Travel Management Plan for Steens Mountain, discussing wilderness, motorized vs. non-motorized, and other key issues.

Jan. 19, '07 - ONDA submits scoping comments on BLM's upcoming Travel Management Plan EA, intended to "implement" the Transportation Plan issued with the Cooperative Management and Protection Area Resource Management Plan for Steens Mountain.

See also ONDA's administrative appeal of BLM's Travel Management Plan decision, and ONDA's lawsuit challenging the Andrews-Steens RMP, in which the district court ruled BLM's transportation plan is unlawful under the Steens Act.

Basque Hills Allotment Management Plan

Apr. 14, '06 - ONDA submits comments on Basque Hills Allotment Management Plan EA.

See also ONDA's administrative protest of BLM's proposed decision, filed May 30, '07.

Smyth-Kiger Allotment Management Plan

Feb. 8, '07 - ONDA submits scoping comments on the Smyth-Kiger Allotment Management Plan EA.

Five Creeks Rangeland Restoration Project

July 7, '06 - ONDA submits comments on the Five Creeks Rangeland Restoration EA.

Jan. 27, '06 - ONDA submits scoping comments on the Five Creeks Rangeland Restoration project.

See also ONDA's administrative appeal of the similar North Steens Ecosystem Management Project.

Riddle Mountain & Burnt Mountain Allotment Permits

Mar. 15, '06 - ONDA submits comments on the Riddle Mountain Allotment & Burnt Flat Allotment permit renewal EAs.

Sheep Mountain Sage Grouse Habitat Project

Mar. 16, '07 - ONDA submits scoping comments on Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Improvement Project.