Look Back: 2024 Year in Review

As this year comes to a close, we’re looking back on everything our community has accomplished in 2024 with a sense of pride.

Oregon’s high desert is a remarkable landscape filled with fragile ecosystems, unparalleled wildlands and an exceptional cast of wildlife characters. Often overshadowed by the lush forests and coastlines of the state, eastern Oregon’s high desert requires special care and committed people working together to conserve its abundant natural wonders.

That’s what we have here. The persistent and passionate people who make up ONDA are a force to be reckoned with. Each year, our members, supporters, advocates and volunteers show up in impactful ways, making it possible to reach new milestones for desert conservation. Thank you!

This year, the dedication of this community protected hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands, improved habitat and bolstered climate resiliency across the region.

Please join us in celebrating our 2024 accomplishments.

 

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Julie Weikel on Wilderness

Julie Weikel on Wilderness

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Mary McCord, ONDA Volunteer

Mary McCord, ONDA Volunteer

“I find enjoyment in the peaceful wide open spaces, geology, and rich history of Oregon’s high desert,” says Mary. Reflecting on volunteering, she continues, “If you have the ability and desire, it’s important to do something to contribute. It doesn’t have to be big, because every little bit helps.”

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Tibetan Monks Visit Sutton Mountain

Tibetan Monks Visit Sutton Mountain

Led a Monumental Campaign for the Owyhee Canyonlands

ONDA led a coalition representing 22 million individuals, generating 70,000 petition signatures and producing thousands of letters and advocacy actions in support of our campaign to protect more than 1 million acres of public land in Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands.

More On The Campaign

Conserved Essential Habitat in the Greater Hart-Sheldon

ONDA advocated for protection of hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in the Greater Hart-Sheldon and one of the nation’s most essential wildlife migration corridors in the Lakeview Resource Management Plan Amendment.

Learn More
Lava rock and sage in the Badlands Wilderness

Made Strides for Public Lands Protection

ONDA was instrumental in putting conservation and cultural resource protection on equal footing with extractive uses on public land for the first time in over 40 years with the release of the Bureau of Land Management’s final “Public Lands Rule.”

Read the Press Release

Expanded Essential Restoration Work

ONDA’s continued partnership building with the Bureau of Land Management resulted in five years of restoration project support that will improve the health and resiliency of desert streams and increase habitat connectivity for wildlife.

Watch Our Short Film

Blended Indigenous Knowledge into our Projects

In partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, ONDA launched two new projects on Tribal land in the John Day River Basin. As part of broader efforts to align our work with Tribal conservation priorities, the projects connect Indigenous Knowledge with innovative restoration techniques to restore stream habitat and bolster climate resiliency in the area.

Restoring Desert Ecosystems

Made Sound Recommendations for Renewable Energy

ONDA conserved fragile desert wildlands and wildlife habitat by supporting the Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to identify appropriate places for renewable energy development in a new solar energy plan for Oregon. Renewable energy development is a critical step toward protecting Oregon’s high desert from climate change, and our engagement ensures that the most important and sensitive habitats are protected from development.

Our Science-Backed Recommendations

Advocated for Greater Sage-grouse

ONDA proposed a 4-million-acre network of habitat reserves to protect and recover sage-grouse, pronghorn, pygmy rabbit and hundreds of other species of fish and wildlife across Oregon’s high desert that depend on intact sagebrush steppe habitat.

A Future for Sage-grouse
two sage-grouse in sagebrush

Improved Habitat Connectivity in the Steens

As a result of ONDA’s advocacy, the Bureau of Land Management identified even more wildlands on Steens Mountain deserving of protection, expanding on existing wilderness areas and connecting wildlife habitat on the western flank of the mountain.

Discover Steens Mountain

Fostered an Exceptional Community

With so many opportunities to participate in caring for this landscape, our members and supporters showed up by putting their interests, talents and skills to good use for the desert:
• 2,300+ people took part in advocacy, sending more than 7,600 messages to decision-makers to spur them to action
• 138 volunteers contributed more than 3,474 hours of service in the office, at events and in the desert
• 570 people joined ONDA as new donors, growing our membership to 5,939 and counting
• 2,600+ people attended ONDA-hosted events to learn about desert topics

Stories From Our Community
Thank you for your commitment to Oregon desert conservation in 2024.

As we pause to celebrate this year’s exceptional achievements, we’re also diligently pressing forward to ensure we sustain our progress in the new year. The days ahead will bring new challenges to Oregon’s high desert that will require an active and engaged response from our conservation community. While we can’t predict what 2025 will bring, we expect our conservation vision and values will be tested. And we know that we’ll need your unwavering advocacy to advance long standing conservation priorities and safeguard Oregon’s cherished high desert lands, waters and wildlife. Our accomplishments over the past year are a testament to what this dedicated community of passionate conservation advocates can achieve together. With you at our side, we step into this new year with determination and optimism.

You may be wondering; how can I continue to show up? We have plans for 2025 that we look forward to sharing with you. Keep an eye out in mid-January for a summary of the strategic opportunities before us and our perspective on pathways to success.

Together, we will rise to meet every challenge, and continue to do what we do best: protect, defend and restore Oregon’s high desert, now and always.

Accomplishments

In 1987, a group of community members based in and around Bend, Oregon realized that the high desert lands and waters they loved had no one dedicated to their protection. […]

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