Oregon Natural Desert Association

Oregon's Deserts

Did you know that over half of Oregon is high desert? Lesser-known than the region’s temperate forests, Oregon’s high desert supports a remarkable diversity of plant and animal species, many of which are unique, rare, and endangered. Its terrestrial habitat is home to sage grouse, pronghorn, and kit fox. Its wetlands support legendary migratory bird populations. Important populations of salmon, steelhead and redband trout ply Oregon’s desert rivers. And stands of juniper, aspen, mountain mahogany, and ponderosa pine add to the diversity of Oregon’s desert landscape. Though isolated and sparsely populated, these fragile lands and rivers are threatened by destructive human activities such as livestock grazing, ORVs, and mining.

ONDA: A History of Success

ONDA is the only group working exclusively to protect Oregon’s high desert. Founded in 1987, ONDA is a 1,600-member grassroots organization committed to protecting, defending, and restoring the health of Oregon’s native deserts. Over the past 20 years, ONDA has earned many successes including the designation of two wilderness areas in Central and Eastern Oregon.  In 2009 President Obama added 40,000 acres of high desert wilderness by creating the Oregon Badlands Wilderness and Spring Basin Wilderness. ONDA also played a key role in the protection of Steens Mountain as the nation’s first “cow-free” Wilderness in 2000, the removal of livestock grazing from both the Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in 1992, and the Wild and Scenic Owyhee River in 1998.  ONDA continues to work towards creating a wilderness legacy for the future by working to protect special places throughout eastern Oregon, including the Owyhee Canyonlands, Whychus-Deschutes Canyon and the areas in the John Day Basin. 

Program Priorities 

• Desert Wilderness Program: Through the Desert Wilderness Program, ONDA staff and volunteers have identified 8 million acres of wilderness-quality BLM land in eastern Oregon that we believe merit consideration as Wilderness, but have no interim protection. Currently ONDA is working on proposals for new wilderness areas in Central Oregon, the John Day Basin, and Owyhee Canyonlands. 
• Sagesteppe Defense Program: ONDA’s Sagesteppe Defense Program uses legal action to defend Oregon’s high desert ecosystems and the rivers that flow through them. Litigation plays a key role in compelling federal agencies particularly the BLM – to manage their lands to ensure the survival of dependent species. Our litigation strategy focuses on: protecting native fish species; ensuring proper management of wild and scenic river corridors; securing public lands grazing reform; listing endangered fish and wildlife species; and enforcing water quality standards. 
• Stewardship and Restoration Project: The Stewardship and Restoration Project provides opportunities for citizens to participate in efforts to restore desert habitat throughout eastern Oregon. Millions of acres of habitat in Oregon’s High Desert have been damaged by livestock grazing, off-road vehicle use, and mining. While some lands have been protected as federally designated wilderness, wildlife refuges, or wild and scenic rivers, many of these areas still receive inadequate funding to restore fish and wildlife habitat. 
• John Day Wild Salmon Program: This program seeks to protect native salmon and steelhead fish populations by restoring critical fish habitat and improving overall watershed health in the John Day Basin. To accomplish this goal we work with a diverse group of partners including private landowners, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS), the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) and National Oceanic Administrative Association (NOAA) Fisheries.