Fremont National Forest

Corinne Handelman

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The Land Between: The Greater Hart-Sheldon Region

The Land Between: The Greater Hart-Sheldon Region

voices

Aaron Tani, Sage Society Member

Aaron Tani, Sage Society Member

“It feels good to support ONDA on a monthly basis, because I know they never stop supporting our public lands. ONDA works to help make our lands a better place for the future, and I feel like I’m a part of that every month with my support.”

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Helen Harbin on Wildlife

Helen Harbin on Wildlife

Goal

Improve access to the section of the Fremont National Recreation Trail that overlaps with the Oregon Desert Trail, address critical safety concerns and promote conservation of the region, in partnership with the Forest Service and other local community groups

Timeline

Project Start Year: 2017
Anticipated Completion: 2040

Mileage

The Oregon Desert Trail overlaps with the Fremont National Recreation Trail for 62.2 miles of the 135-mile trail system.

About this place

The Fremont National Forest offers a setting of classic Western beauty derived from the land’s volcanic legacy. The ecosystem ranges from towering snow-capped peaks to wide-open sage basins. The Fremont National Recreation Trail (Fremont NRT) traverses most of the length of the forest from north to south and was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979.

Two long-distance routes tie into the Fremont NRT: the Oregon Desert Trail and the Oregon Timber Trail. These challenging trails are helping to introduce Oregonians to the drier side of the Cascade Range through immersive hiking and biking experiences. Equestrian groups played a pivotal role in designing, building and maintaining the trail, and even skiers and snowshoers can find fun adventures in this high desert forest when the snow starts to fall.

Our efforts

Through work with the Fremont-Winema National Forest, ONDA volunteers have been able to help the Forest Service complete deferred trail maintenance and open up a stunning section of trail for all forms of quiet recreation.

The goal is to work with the Forest Service and other local community groups to steward this trail by addressing critical safety concerns and improving access while promoting the conservation value of Oregon’s high desert public land and improving a unique recreational asset.

Project history

ONDA began working on the Fremont National Recreation Trail in 2017.

2017: ONDA maintained approximately two miles of trail from Avery Pass to just north of Morgan Butte.

2017: ONDA partnered with the Lakeview Alternative High School to steward approximately two miles of trail around Moss Pass.

2018: ONDA partnered with the Paisley Youth Conservation Corps to steward approximately two miles of trail up and over Morgan Butte, and with the Oregon Timber Trail to cut out down trees from 50 miles of trail.

2019: ONDA again worked with the Paisley Youth Conservation Corps to maintain about 1.5 miles of trail south of Morgan Butte, and assisted an Oregon Timber Trail project to clear trail in the 2018 Waston Fire burn area.

2019: ONDA partnered with the Fremont-Winema National Forest and Lakeview BLM District to hold a joint National Public Lands Day event. Members of ONDA and the Lakeview community worked side-by-side to maintain about 4 miles of trail north from Cox Pass Trailhead and together raised $170 for the Lake County Search and Rescue.

Our Commitment to
Justice, Equity and Inclusion

At Oregon Natural Desert Association, we are creating a more inclusive conservation community by actively welcoming, engaging and collaborating with people of all backgrounds, perspectives, races, genders and ethnicities to […]

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Independent Stewards

Oregon Natural Desert Association’s independent stewardship projects offers volunteers a self-directed option for promoting a healthy high desert in addition to our structured option of guided stewardship trips.

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Fremont National Forest

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Hart Mountain

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Your 2019 Resolutions

By on January 1, 2019 | Posted in: Coming Up

Do you set resolutions for yourself to celebrate the new year? In 2019, let ONDA help you bring a bit of Oregon’s high desert into your plans for the year. […]

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Three Tiny Creatures
of Oregon’s High Desert

By on November 27, 2018 | Posted in: Species Spotlight

Racing pronghorn. Soaring golden eagles. Charging salmon. Oregon’s high desert pulses with the movement of these great creatures, but it’s good to remember that the desert’s iconic animals, birds and […]

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Journey

By on November 2, 2018 | Posted in: Look Back

If you read part one of Mark’s journey, you will recall his original plan to spend two months in the spring visiting lesser-known wilderness study areas (WSAs) and to bring back pictures […]

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10 Summer Adventures in Eastern Oregon

By on July 19, 2018 | Posted in: Where-to

Escape the heat, or at least take your mind off the dog days of summer, with these 10 adventures found around Oregon’s high desert and along the Oregon Desert Trail […]

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The vast expanse of the Pueblo Mountains.

Getting Started in the Pueblos

By on June 12, 2018 | Posted in: Where-to

About the Pueblo Mountains Part of the Great Basin, the Pueblo Mountains are a remote north-south oriented mountain range in southeastern Oregon and northwestern Nevada, just south of Steens Mountain […]

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Learn to Strut

By on April 1, 2018 | Posted in: Coming Up, How-To

ONDA to teach sage-grouse mating dance to all members April 1, 2018 (BEND, Ore.)—What started as a rousing way to open up staff meetings soon spread to board meetings and stewardship trips, […]

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Making a Plan for the Greater Hart-Sheldon

By on March 29, 2018 | Posted in:

Renowned for its vast wild lands and world-class wildlife, the Greater Hart-Sheldon features 3.2 million acres of Bureau of Land Management public lands that span 150 miles, from Fort Rock […]

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