A Model for Conservation

fact

What defines Oregon’s high desert?

Bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Blue Mountains to the north, Oregon’s high desert covers approximately 24,000 square miles. Annual rainfall in the high desert varies from 5 to 14 inches. The average elevation is 4,000 feet; at 9,733 feet, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in Oregon’s high desert. The terrain of the high desert was mostly formed by a series of lava flows that occurred between 30 and 10 million years ago.

Sources: The Oregon Encyclopedia; Wikipedia

fact

Bobcat

Found only in North America, where it is the most common wildcat, the bobcat takes its common name from its stubby, or “bobbed,” tail. The cats range in length from two to four feet and weigh 14 to 29 pounds. Bobcats mainly hunt rabbits and hares, but they will also eat rodents, birds, bats, and even adult deer.

Latin name: Lynx rufus fasciatus

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Stewardship Fence Building Timelapse

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Preventing Industrial Development on Steens Mountain

ONDA and our partners have worked for years to ensure Steens Mountain remains free from industrial development. Our long-standing commitment to the mountain was vital to an effort to stop […]

Steens Mountain Wilderness

Oregon’s first desert wilderness On October 30, 2000, President Clinton signed the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act, creating Oregon’s first desert wilderness. This accomplishment was the result of […]