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High Desert Committee

High Desert Chair: Anne Mitchell

The High Desert Committee is a Conservation Committee of the Oregon Chapter of Sierra Club. The Committee works to protect and conserve the public wildlands in Oregon’s high desert administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The Oregon Chapter Sierra Club’s High Desert Committee seeks wilderness protection for the Owyhee Canyonlands, Badlands, Spring Basin, full implementation of the Steens Act, as well as protection for all existing BLM Wilderness Study Areas in Oregon’s High Desert country.

Consider joining us on one of our 2009 Outings and Trips!

For more information about High Desert issues and what you can do to help, consider attending one of our monthly meetings held at the Oregon Chapter office on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM.

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Our Mission

The Problem: Unprotected Desert in Eastern Oregon

Many High Desert lands in eastern Oregon are suitable for wilderness protection either in Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) or are wilderness quality lands not identified for future protection. These lands face threats from grazing, mining, and off road vehicle abuse and from an overall lack of public advocacy.

The Sierra Club’s Solution: Educate and Protect

The Sierra Club’s High Desert Committee is actively educating the public and decision makers on the ecological values in Oregon’s High Desert country, building support for permanent protection for all wilderness quality desert lands in Oregon. We are specifically advocating for wilderness protection for the Owyhee Canyonlands, Badlands, Spring Basin and permanent protection for all existing BLM Wilderness Study Areas in Oregon’s High Desert country. We are actively working to implement an acceptable management plan for the Steens Cooperative Management Area (CMPA) and Steens Mountain Wilderness and engaging in legal action where necessary to protect Oregon’s High Desert and desert wilderness areas.

Support the Sierra Club’s Efforts to Protect Oregon’s High Desert

Your support helps the Sierra Club effectively engage in education and outreach to the public and decision makers across Oregon for the protection of Oregon’s High Desert country. We dedicate staff and volunteer time to upholding the Steens Act and organizing events such as our annual Steens Mountain fence pull, cleaning up barbed wire from the Steens Wilderness. Financial support is needed for our legal fund to protect Steens Mountain from illegal road building and other threats.

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Oregon's New Wilderness

Spring Basin

Spring Basin is a newly legislated Wilderness Area along the John Day River between Fossil and Clarno.

Soda Mountain

Soda Mountain is a newly legislated Wilderness Area within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (created in 2000).

The Badlands

The Badlands is a newly legislated Wilderness Area just east of Bend full of unique geological features and ancient juniper.

For more information, visit our Alerts/Events page.

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Ongoing Wilderness Campaigns

Owyhee Canyonslands Campaign

In April 2003 we kicked off a campaign to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands with a photo exhibition during Portland’s First Thursday art event. Now that legislation has been introduced to protect Badlands, Spring Basin, and Soda Mountain, we will reinvigorate our efforts to gain protection for the Owyhee Canyonlands.

Visit the National Sierra Club Wildlands Campaign on the Owyhee Canyonlands to learn more about this wonderful area. There is information about the natural history, conservation challenges, what you can do to help, and a nice slide show of images.

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A Cooperative Success for Steens

For over a decade, the Oregon Chapter’s High Desert Committee worked to protect special places in southeast Oregon. Our biggest success came October 30, 2000 when President Clinton signed the “Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000”.

Among the highlights of the act are:

170,000 acres of wilderness,
97,000 acres of livestock free land,
900,000 acres permanently withdrawn from mining and deothermal development,
three creeks designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers - 28 new miles,
the Donner and Blitzen Redband Trout Reserve,
the Wildland Juniper Management Area for research

A Steens Mountain Advisory Council has been formed, as required by the legislation, to advise the BLM in the design and implementation of a management plan for the area. The SMAC has 12 voting members who represent different groups interested in Steens.More information on the SMAC including meeting dates is available at the Steens Mountain Advisory Council.

However our work is not done. There are still land exchanges, more wilderness designation which needs to take place, and controversy over various land use decisions with the upcoming management plan. The High Desert Committee is continuing its work to insure additional protection and intelligent management for Steens Mountain-Alvord Basin.