Mark Darnell
Connecting Trails
The Oregon Desert Trail ties into two National Recreation Trails: the Fremont National Recreation Trail and Desert Trail.
Stewardship Fence Building Timelapse
Sage Steppes
Together we achieved a major goal in our campaign to conserve important wild areas in the John Day River Basin with the introduction of legislation that would establish a Sutton Mountain National Monument. The new proposal for a 66,000-acre national monument will preserve the country between the Painted Hills and the John Day Fossil Beds.
We advocated for more than 1,000 miles of desert waterways to be protected as Wild and Scenic Rivers in the River Democracy Act and made great strides in our campaign to preserve a million acres in the Owyhee. We also defended against misguided management actions proposed across Oregon’s high desert public lands, weighing in on issues ranging from wildlife management in the Greater Hart-Sheldon to expanded military training in Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands.
Learn about the River Democracy Act
After a pivot to a COVID-safe independent steward restoration model, we surpassed 6,000 volunteer hours contributed to caring for desert public lands. Volunteers planted nearly 17,000 trees, restored more than 500 acres of sagebrush habitat, maintained dozens of miles of trail and a whole lot more to improve the health and resiliency of the desert ecosystem.
ONDA hosted another cohort of Tribal Stewards, Indigenous teens and young adults taking part in a paid, career mentorship program, and we hired our first-ever Hillis Intern. Both Tribal Stewards and the Hillis Internship offer increasingly equitable avenues for young people to become our next conservation leaders through paid internships.
To foster a sense of wonder and curiosity about the diverse ecosystems and landscapes of the high desert, we hosted over a dozen events, produced a short documentary and published several multimedia story maps. As we highlight the desert and engage people in advocating for it we are taking steps at each juncture to ensure we are building a culture that welcomes everyone who is interested in conserving Oregon’s high desert.
Oregon’s high desert is an arid landscape, defined by the scarcity of water, but that does not mean that this vast landscape is without water. It means that every stream, […]
Read MoreSupport conservation on behalf of the lands, waters, and wildlife of Oregon's high desert. A gift of any size begins or renews your ONDA membership, so join this community to amplify your support of critical conservation issues, today.
Donate today