Protecting Oregon’s Desert Wildlife

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

Helen Harbin, ONDA Board Member

Helen Harbin, ONDA Board Member

“I connect with Oregon’s high desert through my feet, my eyes, my sense of smell, and all the things I hear. Getting out there is a whole body experience.” Supporting ONDA, Helen says, not only connects her with wild landscapes, but is also a good investment. “I felt like if I gave them $20, they might squeeze $23 out of it.”

voices

Durlin Hicock, Alice Elshoff Award winner

Durlin Hicock, Alice Elshoff Award winner

“Protecting public land is part of my spiritual being. It’s central to my identity to be in wilderness and to see it protected.” Durlin is proud to protect public lands for future generations, saying, “The highlight of my childhood was our family’s weekend outdoor trips. I look forward to my grandchildren having similar experiences outside in their lifetimes, and it wouldn’t be possible without ONDA.”

Protecting Oregon’s Desert Wildlife

Author: Mark Salvo |  Published: November 6, 2025  | Category: Brief Update This article originally appeared in the Fall + Winter 2025 Desert Ramblings Newsletter. ONDA’s advocacy advances state conservation […]

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Wilderness Inventories, and Why They Matter

Author: Mark Salvo | Published: September 24, 2025  | Category: Brief Update This article originally appeared in the Fall + Winter 2025 Desert Ramblings Newsletter. The foundation of public land […]

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Expansive Protections Secured for the Greater Hart-Sheldon

Author: Mark Salvo |  Published: May 21, 2025  | Category: In the News This article originally appeared in the Spring + Summer 2025 Desert Ramblings Newsletter. Finally, a management plan […]

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Renewable Energy Development in Oregon’s High Desert

Author: Mark Salvo  |  Published: October 10, 2024  | Category: Deep Dive Something must be done, and quickly. Climate change is an existential threat to Oregon’s high desert. We must […]

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Oregon’s Best Conservation Opportunity

Author: Mark Salvo  |  Published: May 29, 2024  | Category: Coming Up This article originally appeared in the Spring + Summer 2024 Desert Ramblings After three decades of advocacy, this […]

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Sage-Grouse: Denizen of the Sagebrush Sea

Author: Mark Salvo  |  Published: October 19, 2023  | Category: Species Spotlight  This article originally appeared in the Fall + Winter 2023 Desert Ramblings The future of this enduring species […]

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Saving the Owyhee from Jet Fighters, Sonic Booms and Flammable Flares

Author: Mark Salvo  |  Published: November 1, 2022  |  Category: Coming Up File this under “looming threat”: ONDA has learned that the U.S. Air Force may release its final plan […]

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Seven Steps to Save Sage-Grouse

Author: Mark Salvo  |  Published: April 5, 2022  |  Category: Deep Dive After three and half decades of monitoring sage-grouse habitat, sorting through the science, engaging in innumerable federal, state […]

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A Closer Look at the Proposed Sutton Mountain National Monument

Author: Mark Salvo  |  Published: March 1, 2022  |  Category: In the News  In November 2021, Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced the Sutton Mountain and Painted Hills […]

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New National Monument Proposed for Sutton Mountain

On November 3, 2021, Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced the Sutton Mountain and Painted Hills Area Wildfire Resiliency Preservation and Economic Enhancement Act in Congress today. This legislation […]

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