Oregon Natural Desert Association
ONDA's mission is to protect, defend and restore the health of Oregon's native deserts. ONDA got its start in the mid-1980s,when a small group of desert activists joined together to oppose the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) inadequate findings in their assessment of "Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs)" for Eastern Oregon.
The work of these activists resulted in a significant expansion of the acreage of declared WSA's, which ONDA continues to monitor today. In 1989, the organization officially incorporated and received its non-profit status. Since then, we've emerged as a leader in efforts to protect High Desert lands and water from irresponsible livestock grazing, mining, and geothermal development.
Among ONDA's projects is the Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge. Located in Oregon's High Desert, the 251,000-acre Hart Mountain Refuge was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 for "…the preservation, management and study of pronghorn antelope and other wildlife species. In spite of its status as a wildlife refuge, livestock grazing was allowed to continue, degrading habitat and harming Hart Mountain's native species. In the early 1990s, ONDA worked with a coalition of conservation groups to end grazing on Hart Mountain, and in 1994, the Fish and Wildlife Service formally terminated grazing for at least 15 years.
Today, the refuge is quickly recovering from the historic impacts of livestock grazing and the improvement to fish and wildlife habitat has been astonishing. In addition, volunteers have removed nearly 100 miles of barbed wire from Hart Mountain facilitating movement of pronghorn within the refuge. ONDA's goal is for Hart Mountain to be fence-free by the end of 2006.
For more information on this and other programs, please contact ONDA at 541-330-2638 or visit: www.onda.org
Or contact Bill Marlett, onda@onda.org, 330-2638
To donate in support of ONDA's programs, click here.
