Sutton Mountain

Jim Davis   Website

John Day River Basin

At 4,700 feet tall, Sutton Mountain towers over the surrounding landscape. With a steep, craggy west side and a rolling, grassy eastern face, the mountain has a mysterious Jekyll and Hyde quality.

Sutton Mountain is home to bountiful wildflowers in the spring and vibrant herds of pronghorn, elk, and mule deer.  Here solitude is as easy to come by as is a breathtaking vista. The recreational opportunities in this area will suit adventurous thrill-seekers and mellow nature enthusiasts alike.

ONDA has worked with Senator Merkley, the local community and other stakeholders to craft a conservation solution worthy of the area’s incredible diversity of habitat types, opportunities for backcountry recreation, archaeological resources and more.

success

Spring Basin Wilderness

Spring Basin Wilderness

Spring Basin Wilderness

With 10,000 acres of undulating terrain, secluded canyons and spectacular vantages of the John Day Country, Spring Basin is magnificent to explore This public treasure, forever protected as Wilderness, offers a profusion of desert wildflowers in the spring and year-round recreational opportunities for hikers, horseback

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fact

Bitteroot

Bitteroot

Bitteroot blooms on north-facing cliffs in western North America.

The Paiute name for bitteroot is kangedya. Traditional Native American uses of the plant included eating the roots, mixed with berries and meat, and using the roots to treat sore throats.

 

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.”

Tyson Fisher   Website

Tyler Roemer   Website

In November 2021, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced the Sutton Mountain and Painted Hills Area Wildfire Resiliency Preservation and Economic Enhancement Act that would establish a new Sutton Mountain National Monument to conserve these public lands. Their innovative bill would capitalize on the public’s 29-year investment and stewardship of iconic Sutton Mountain since it came into public ownership in 1992.

Protecting this region and its watershed, including Bridge Creek, will build upon years of collaborative projects that have sought to restore stream conditions using an innovative approach: encouraging native beaver to repopulate and naturally reengineer and recover the stream ecosystem to benefit steelhead and a multitude of other species.

Ben Goldfarb

Species Spotlight: Steelhead

Author: Scott R. Bowler  |  Published: April 20, 2022  |  Category: Species Spotlight The long & short life history of Oncorhynchus mykiss Did you know that the fish we call […]

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Say "Thanks!" for great work
to protect Sutton Mountain

On November 3, 2021, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Merkley and Wyden introduced legislation to establish a Sutton Mountain National Monument. Please take a moment now to say “Thank you!” and encourage […]

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Sutton Mountain Dazzles,
Inspires in Equal Measure

Author: Matt Wastradowski  | Published: August 20, 2020  |  Updated: November 3, 2021  |  Categories: Where-to; In the News You may have heard about the new proposal to establish a […]

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