ONDA provides interested community members with inspiration to get out and enjoy the desert, and the information and tools necessary to understand what is happening to their public lands.
Publications
Tim Neville
watch
The Last Darkness
The Last Darkness
fact
What defines Oregon’s high desert?
What defines Oregon’s high desert?
Bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Blue Mountains to the north, Oregon’s high desert covers approximately 24,000 square miles. Annual rainfall in the high desert varies from 5 to 14 inches. The average elevation is 4,000 feet; at 9,733 feet, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in Oregon’s high desert. The terrain of the high desert was mostly formed by a series of lava flows that occurred between 30 and 10 million years ago.
Sources: The Oregon Encyclopedia; Wikipedia
voices
Ursula K. Le Guin on ONDA
Ursula K. Le Guin on ONDA
“Nothing in conservation work is ever uncomplicated! But I’m proud of ONDA for working on that conversation, being neighborly, trying to include the human landscape in the natural one as truly part of what is to be honored, protected, and saved.”
Ursula K. Le Guin, from the short essay Concerning a Wilderness
Oregon Desert Trail Guidebook
ONDA’s Oregon Desert Trail Guidebook provides a comprehensive introduction the complete 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail route and important “know before you go” information that is helpful in preparing for a trip of any length from day hike to thru-hike.
Download this free resource for:
* Desert safety tips
* Detailed route information and
driving directions
* A guide to water caching
* Section-by-section overview maps and
elevation profiles
* Cultural history and natural history
* A public lands glossary and guide to
land designations along the ODT
* So much more.
Year in Review
Our Year in Review publications offer an annual reflection on ONDA’s work, accomplishments and key milestones.
Newsletter
Published twice annually and sent to all members, Desert Ramblings gives readers an inside look at ONDA’s programs.
Annual Reports
Our annual reports share the program highlights from the year and our financial health. You can also review our Financials.
Wild Desert Calendar
ONDA’s calendar has become a highly-anticipated favorite among our members and the community at large. Produced as a volunteer-led effort, the Wild Desert Calendar showcases the beauty of the high desert through stunning photographs.
Maps
ONDA’s conservation work spans millions of acres in eastern Oregon. These maps will fill you in on where our priority regions, including Oregon Badlands Wilderness, Steens Mountain, Owyhee Canyonlands, and Hart Mountain, fit into Oregon’s sagebrush steppe landscape.
Renewable Energy Siting Guidance
ONDA is pleased to offer a series of reports on smart siting for renewable energy development in Oregon and the high desert.
Siting Renewable Energy in Oregon: Voluntary Guidelines Developed through Outreach and Engagement (2023)
Renewable Energy in Oregon: A Policymaker’s Guide to a Responsible Energy Future (2012)
Oregon’s High Desert and Wind Energy: Opportunities and Strategies for Responsible Energy Development (2009)