Oregon's Deserts

Di 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 1,200-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 recent designation of two new wilderness areas in Central and Eastern Oregon. The Oregon Badlands Wilderness comprises 30,000 acres of unique lava formations, ancient juniper and desert widlfowers. The 10,000 acre Spring Basin Wilderness, adjacent to the John Day River, is a litany of rolling grasslands and home to Simpson's hedgehog cactus and other unique and ornate wildflowers. 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.

Program Priorities 

• Desert Wilderness Program: Through the Desert Wilderness Program, ONDA staff and volunteers have identified 8 million acres of roadless 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, 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 anadromous and non-anadromous 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.
• Oregon Desert Outreach and Restoration Project: The Oregon Desert Outreach 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 recieve 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 will 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.  
   
  At 280 miles in length, the John Day River is the second longest undammed river in the contiguous United States.  It is among the most biologically unique watersheds in North America, claiming one of the last, all-wild runs of anadromous fish in the Columbia Basin and the largest and most viable run of wild steelhead in the Lower 48.  In addition, the John Day has enormous potential and opportunity for recreation including: rafting; angling for salmon and trout; and hunting for upland birds and big game.  The region also boasts large populations of elk, deer and pronghorn antelope; growing populations of bighorn sheep; sensitive and rare bird and plant species; and one of the most unique areas for geology and paleontology in the world.