Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds, with the goal of protecting migratory waterfowl. Before the refuge was established, commercial hunting and habitat loss had devastated waterfowl populations across North America.

Today, the refuge is known for its diversity and abundance of wildlife, quality habitat, rich cultural significance and ample recreation opportunities for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Diversity and Density of Wildlife

More than 340 bird species, a dozen species of native fish, 67 mammal species and a smattering of amphibian and reptile species call the refuge home. As an important stop along the Pacific Flyway migration path, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds rest, feed, breed, and nest at the refuge annually. Many birds that use the refuge are priority species in local, regional and national bird conservation plans. Redband trout, an aquatic icon of Oregon’s high desert, is also a special focus of refuge management. As for mammals, the refuge is most notably home to mule deer, pronghorn and elk.

Essential Habitat

The refuge’s habitats are incredibly rich and varied and include lakes, wetlands, grasslands, sagebrush and rimrock that attracts a wide array of wildlife. Historic bird counts show that the area may support up to 66 percent of the Pacific Flyway’s migrating populations for priority waterfowl, making it some of the most important migratory bird habitat in North America. Mammals tend to frequent the uplands around refuge headquarters and the southern Blitzen Valley.

Cultural Significance

Tribal and Indigenous communities have inhabited this area for more than 11,000 years and continue to maintain strong ties to the refuge. The Northern Paiute depended on the abundance of birds, animals and plants and other resources on the landscape. Plants, seeds and grasses like bitterroot, balsamroot and sagebrush are important cultural resources for food and making baskets, while abundant water resources allow for hunting and fishing that have supported indigenous communities for millennia. With a deep appreciation and understanding of the rhythms, contours and seasons of this basin, Paiute peoples have been caretakers of this ancestral homeland since time immemorial.

Recreational Opportunities

The refuge is a mecca for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. A network of hiking trails and driving routes provide visitor access to excellent birding habitat, historic ranch sites and panoramic vistas. Interpretive information about wildlife, habitat, cultural resources and the history of the landscape is posted all over the refuge. In addition to wildlife, the refuge is home to many native plants and wildflowers that can be enjoyed by visitors seasonally.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is of vital importance to the wildlife and communities that rely on it. While the refuge enjoys certain protections, ongoing caretaking is needed to sustain the health and vitality of the ecosystem and restore habitats degraded by invasive species and other threats. Oregon Natural Desert Association has been working here since the 1990’s to support conservation management and restoration of this important landscape.

Restoring Habitat Quality

Our stewardship of the refuge includes removing obsolete fencing and retrofitting remaining barbed wire fencing to support wildlife movement and improve habitat connectivity. We also conduct plant and wildlife surveys as well as remove encroaching juniper and invasive species.

ONDA has appreciated working with refuge staff and Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on these projects, and has particularly supported Tribal Stewards to conduct a variety of research and restoration work on the refuge. ONDA’s Tribal Stewards program provides paid opportunities for Indigenous youth and young adults to work on restoration and gain experience in conservation and stewardship in support of their career paths.

Our history of work on the refuge has included:

2013: Retrofitting barbed wire fence near the historic P Ranch
2014: Retrofitting two miles of fence to support wildlife
2015: Removing two large barbed wire and sheep fence corrals near the P Ranch
2016: Retrofitting two miles of fence to support wildlife
2017: Removing one mile of obsolete barbed wire fence near the P Ranch and assisting with a cooperative project to remove carp and collect data from Malheur Lake
2018: Removing two miles of obsolete barbed wire fence near the Double O Ranch
2019: Mapping 10.5 miles of fence for future removal and retrofit and removed 1.7 miles of fence near P Ranch
2021: Mapping 82 miles of fence to assist the Refuge’s effort to map all boundary fence lines and identify fence for future removal

Improving Conservation Management

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is required to develop and regularly revise its conservation plans that guide how refuge wildlife and habitats are managed. Refuge planning must prioritize wildlife conservation over all other purposes. For the Malheur, that means conserving and sustaining waterfowl and other migratory birds, first and foremost.

The refuge has initiated a new to update its management and ONDA will be central to this effort. The planning process will bring together local residents, ranchers, conservationists, Tribes, recreationalists, scientists, and state and federal land managers to determine how best to address the management challenges facing the refuge.

ONDA will seek solutions that promote biodiversity, combat invasive species and provide for compatible recreation and other uses as allowed under federal law. We will work collaboratively with refuge staff, tribal communities and local stakeholders to develop new and innovative solutions to growing threats facing the refuge. This will ensure that the refuge will continue to serve as a critically important habitat reserve in Oregon’s high desert.

Planning a visit to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge? Friends of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge offers additional information and resources on their website and at refuge headquarters.