What Wild & Scenic
Looks Like

Greg Burke   Website

listen

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

listen

South Fork Crooked River and Birds

South Fork Crooked River and Birds

success

Central Oregon’s “Backyard Wilderness”

Central Oregon’s “Backyard Wilderness”

Our quest to protect the Oregon Badlands

Located just 15 miles east of Bend, Oregon Badlands is a 30,000-acre wilderness area filled with fascinating lava flows and ancient juniper trees Arriving in the Badlands, so named for its rugged and harsh terrain, can feel like stepping

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Mountain Streams

High up on desert peaks like Steens Mountain, streams like Cottonwood Creek arise as a trickle that can transform with spring snowmelt into a raging torrent. As ONDA member Julie Weikel fantastically described, “for brief weeks or even just days each spring, the jubilant celebrating streams move boulders, rip out tree roots, and raise a little canyon hell.” These small but mighty creeks sustain populations of rare Lahontan cutthroat trout and wildflower-filled meadows that provide critical habitat for sage-grouse and other desert species.

Mark Darnell   Website

Were you also thrilled to see @RonWyden and @SenJeffMerkley introduce the River Democracy Act? Say thank you here: https://onda.org/take-action/desert-rivers-2021/ Click To Tweet

Canyon-carving Creeks

Boasting stunning scenery and exposing millenia of stunning geology and rocky spires, powerful waterways, like Succor Creek, are a refuge for sensitive wildlife such as California bighorn sheep, golden eagles, and redband trout. Many desert canyons are also sacred and traditional sites for the Northern Paiute people and other indigenous communities who continue to live and gather food and medicine in Oregon’s high desert.

Sean Bagshaw   Website

How exciting that Oregon could become the national leader in Wild and Scenic Rivers! Thanks, @RonWyden and @SenJeffMerkley! http://bit.ly/WSRpressrelease Click To Tweet

Salmon-bearing Rivers

Salmon and steelhead journey hundreds of miles deep into northeastern Oregon to spawn in the North Fork John Day and its tributaries. Stretching nearly 40 miles through spectacular scenery, the last unprotected stretch of the North Fork John Day also provides wild water and rare solitude for boaters willing to make the trek to enjoy its remote canyonlands.

Greg Burke   Website

I'm so glad to see desert rivers included in @RonWyden and @SenJeffMerkley's Wild and Scenic rivers proposal. Way to go, Senators! http://bit.ly/proposedWSRMap Click To Tweet

Desert creeks

From nesting songbirds to sensitive native trout, desert creeks are vital to life in an otherwise arid landscape. Guano Creek, on the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, is one example of these ribbons of green bursting with life, each one an oases in the Sagebrush Sea.

Jim Davis

You are Outstandingly Remarkable.

In February 2021, Oregon’s senators announced the largest Wild and Scenic Rivers effort in our nation's history. You put desert rivers on their map.

Read Their Press Release

Thank Oregon's Senators for Protecting Desert Rivers

On February 3, 2021, Oregon’s Senators introduced the River Democracy Act, which would protect hundreds of miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in Oregon’s High Desert, from Whychus Creek to the Owyhee! This momentous bill grew out of a public nomination process led by Senator Wyden that resulted in over 15,000 nominations for rivers, creeks […]

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What Wild & Scenic
Looks Like

By on September 14, 2020 | Posted in: Deep Dive

Did you know that, in addition to rivers, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act can also protect creeks, streams and lakes?  Wild and Scenic desert waters take many forms and every drop of desert water plays an important role in the desert ecosystem. From mighty salmon-bearing rivers, like the North Fork John Day, to...

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Member Q&A with Ryan Houston

By on August 31, 2020 | Posted in:

Join ONDA’s executive director Ryan Houston for this live-streaming question and answer session. Ryan will provide updates on top conservation priorities across Oregon’s high desert and share information about how you can support our work with opportunities from advocating to volunteering. Register now to join the conversation!   Ryan Houston has served as ONDA’s...

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Summertime Strategies

By on July 6, 2020 | Posted in: Uncategorized

Wow, it’s hot out there in the high desert! At least much of the time … not so much at night … and not every day either. (I can clearly recall July 4, 2010, when, camped out on the West Little Owyhee River, we got 4” of snow overnight and all our water was...

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Species Spotlight – Pronghorn

By on May 21, 2020 | Posted in: Species Spotlight

A long list of charismatic animals inhabits Oregon’s high desert. Species such as the Greater Sage-grouse, bighorn sheep, cougars, burrowing owls and even the occasional black bear or wandering moose (okay, just one moose), can all be found exploring the characteristic rimrock, sagebrush, and open spaces of the state’s eastern half. In fact, many...

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West Little Owyhee

How Much Wilderness Do We Need?

By on April 30, 2020 | Posted in: In the News

In a recent editorial, The Bulletin asked a good question: “how much land does Oregon have that is appropriate for wilderness?” The answer is a lot. A heckuva lot. In Oregon’s high desert alone, federal surveys and volunteer-driven inventories have identified eight million acres of public lands and hundreds of miles of rivers and...

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Basalt Beardstongue

How to Identify Native Plants

By on April 29, 2020 | Posted in: How-To

By Scott Bowler Hey, what’s that cool flower? After leading wildflower discovery and identification trips for 40-plus years, I can tell you that people’s most common reaction upon encountering a new flower is: “Oh, cool! What’s that?” They want a name. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the key steps to figuring...

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bluebird

How to Use Your Voice For Public Lands

By on April 15, 2020 | Posted in:

This is part of our High Desert Academy digital event series. Whenever major changes to how our public lands are managed are in the works, you – the public! – get a chance to comment on those proposals. Learn how to use your voice to speak up for conservation in the desert, just in time for...

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The Wild Owyhee

By on April 1, 2020 | Posted in:

Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands is one of the wildest places in the country. Follow along on an exploration of this incomparable region, its awe-inspiring natural landscapes, rich culture and history, key wildlife habitats and recreation hubs. You’ll learn about timely conservation initiatives you can support to ensure that the Owyhee stays wild, forever. Join ONDA’s...

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Desert Hiking Tips & Trips

By on March 31, 2020 | Posted in:

This is part of our High Desert Academy digital event series. Do you have concerns about water, navigation, camping, animals, desert driving and more? We’ll answer your questions and offer ideas for your next adventure in Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands and beyond. Join ONDA’s Program Coordinator Renee Patrick for this live-streaming event from the comfort...

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A hiker admires West Little Owyhee Canyon

Postponed: Desert Hiking Tips & Trips | Vale

By on March 10, 2020 | Posted in:

This event is currently postponed due to public health concerns and will be rescheduled for a later date. Hiking season is right around the corner! One of the best times to hike in the desert is the late spring. Come to the Vale Library Conference room to get some helpful tips for maximizing the...

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