Advocating for Wildlands and Wildlife

Jeremy Austin

Oregon’s desert lands and waters are home to a rich diversity of fish, wildlife and plants, including species that cannot survive without the sagebrush steppe ecosystem. Oregon Natural Desert Association protects sensitive and imperiled species and habitat, advocates for improved public lands management, and enforces existing conservation laws to support healthy lands, waters and wildlife.

Conserving Desert Species and Habitats

Hundreds of species of desert plants and animals are at risk due to habitat loss from harmful land use, invasive species, climate change, mining proposals, and other challenges. Oregon’s desert wildlife and their habitats are in need of conservation action.

ONDA works to protect essential habitat, wildlife migration corridors, and climate resilient ecosystems to support native species conservation and recovery throughout the high desert. We promote conservation management that minimizes threats to wildlife and their habitat and improves land management to support species diversity and robust populations across 12 million acres of desert public lands.

ONDA’s efforts conserve vast expanses of wildlife habitat to the benefit of iconic desert residents like greater sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, redband trout, migratory birds and many more.

Improving Public Land Management

Oregon’s high desert is rich with unrivaled expanses of wild lands and wildlife habitat requiring thoughtful management and long-term stewardship. Wherever and whenever federal agencies seek public input to guide their management of public lands, waters and wildlife, ONDA immediately engages in these decision-making processes to promote science-based management and protect iconic landscapes, fragile ecosystems and unique fish, wildlife and plant communities. We advocate for policies, regulations and management that support healthy ecosystems and address mounting threats from development, extractive industries and other activities.

Want to dive deeper into public lands management? Take a closer look at management planning in Oregon’s high desert.

Defending Public Lands and Wildlife

ONDA safeguards Oregon’s high desert, and we are committed to pushing back on management and extractive uses that harm the region’s public lands, waters and wildlife. ONDA leads campaigns to oppose detrimental development, ensures effective policy implementation, encourages science-based decision-making, and promotes enforcement of conservation laws that protect public lands, waters and wildlife.

Over the years, this essential work has protected millions of acres of public land across Oregon’s high desert.

Visit our Accomplishments page to learn more about ONDA’s conservation achievements.

 

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Stewardship Fence Building Timelapse

Stewardship Fence Building Timelapse

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Young Desert Horned Lizard

Young Desert Horned Lizard

In the summer these lizards begin foraging for food as soon as their body temperature rises as the heat of the day increases. They feed on slow-moving, ground-dwelling insects. In the fall they hibernate by burying themselves in the sand.

Latin name: Phrysonoma platyrhinos

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Robinson Creek Restoration Plan

Robinson Creek Restoration Plan

Robinson Creek Restoration Plan FINAL_digital