ONDA works with partners, communities, and the public to improve habitat quality, create healthy ecosystems, sustain clean water, and support biodiversity in the high desert’s most ecologically important areas.
What We Do
Using the best available science, decades of on the ground experience, and principles of Indigenous Knowledge, ONDA implements restoration projects and advocates for management that improves habitat, promotes healthy, resilient ecosystems, and supports iconic species such as sage-grouse, steelhead, and pronghorn.
Restoring Rivers and Streams
Oregon’s high desert is an arid landscape, defined by the scarcity of water. A mere 2% of the high desert is wetland, or riparian, habitat. Yet, more than 80% of wildlife in the region depend on these oases to survive.
In places where rivers and streams have been degraded, our riparian restoration work promotes the recovery of natural ecological processes that bring back the lush stream banks, meandering waterways, and deep, cold pools that were once abundant throughout the region.
To achieve this, we install natural instream structures to slow the flow of water. We then plant trees to reduce erosion, lower water temperatures, and provide food and building materials to attract the essential beaver. Beavers, a keystone species in Oregon’s high desert, help restore habitat by constructing dams and pools—critical components of a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem.
These restoration efforts target areas where important fish species such as redband trout and steelhead are present. We focus our work on smaller tributary streams and springs that have an outsized importance in supporting a healthy and resilient landscape.
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Improving Habitat Connectivity
Across eastern Oregon’s desert public lands, thousands of miles of barbed-wire fences—used to create livestock pastures and define land ownership boundaries—impede the seasonal migrations of iconic wildlife such as greater sage-grouse, elk, deer, and pronghorn. ONDA removes obsolete barbed-wire fences and converts necessary fences to be more wildlife-friendly. This restoration work dramatically improves wildlife migration corridors and supports healthy wildlife populations.
Over the course of many decades, ONDA has removed over 300 miles of obsolete barbed-wire fences from Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, all of the fences from the Steens Mountain Wilderness, and many of the fences in the Pine Creek Conservation Area. Where fences still serve a purpose, ONDA works with public land managers to replace portions of the barbed-wire with smooth wire, which is easier for wildlife to navigate and avoids injuries.
Monitoring Fish and Wildlife Habitat
ONDA supports improved public land management by monitoring and documenting habitat conditions across Oregon’s high desert. We share this monitoring information with land managers and partners to guide restoration and management, use the data to identify future restoration projects, and incorporate our findings into our conservation advocacy work.
Promoting Restoration-focused Management
Our restoration advocacy encourages sustained, innovative, climate-adapted, evidence-based management of high desert lands, waters, and ecosystems. This work ensures land managers are taking steps to support sensitive species and habitats and achieve long-term ecological integrity.
Where We Work
ONDA’s restoration work improves fish and wildlife habitat in key locations across Oregon’s high desert where climate change, drought, and extractive human uses have diminished habitat and ecosystem health.
Our restoration work is focused in five regions of Oregon’s high desert:
John Day River Basin
Restoring essential tributary habitat for salmon and steelhead. Projects are located in Pine Creek Conservation Area, along Robinson Creek and in Cottonwood Canyon State Park.
Central Oregon Backcountry
Enhancing fish and wildlife habitat and fostering community engagement. Projects are located in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, along the South Fork Crooked River and in the Whychus-Deschutes area.
Greater Hart-Sheldon
Improving sagebrush steppe habitat connectivity and resiliency. Projects are located on Beatys Butte and Hart Mountain.
Steens Mountain
Stewarding a beloved high desert landscape. Projects are located on Steens Mountain, in the Alvord Desert and in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Owhyee Canyonlands
Conserving habitat for rare and endangered species. Projects are located along the Malheur Wild and Scenic River and Willow Creek in the Trout Creek Mountains.
