Horse Heaven and Cathedral Rock
Tyler Roemer Website
voices
Terry Butler, 2018 Volunteer of the Year
Terry Butler, 2018 Volunteer of the Year
“If I have to pick a favorite place in Oregon’s high desert, it would be Sutton Mountain, but I’m excited about all of the Wilderness Study Areas,” says Terry, adding, “Each is a gem to explore, and I hope they all get protection someday… I love the scale of the physical beauty of the desert.”
watch
Stewardship Pronghorn Fence
Stewardship Pronghorn Fence
fact
Western Rattlesnake
Western Rattlesnake
Also known as the Great Basin Rattlesnake, these pit vipers have buff-tan coloring and small, oval blotches to blend into their arid surroundings. Small heat-sensing indentations on each side of the snake’s snout detects warm-blooded prey for better striking accuracy in the dark. Source: The Oregon Encyclopedia
Latin name: Crotalus oreganus lutosus
Wildlife thrive in a range of homes
Mid-Columbia summer steelhead, Ferruginous Hawk and a range of wildlife thrive here. The area is particularly important winter habitat for deer, elk, and antelope.
Currently, both Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven have “checkerboard” land ownership patterns, with squares of public and private land, which makes them hard to access without the concern of trespassing.
Opening land to the public
ONDA’s work will bring new conservation protection to these lands and will modify ownership and access. When we’re done, our work will open 17,000 acres of land to the public. Doing so will dramatically improve opportunities to hunt, fish, hike, camp, and explore.