help wildlife in Northeast Oregon
Recently, we announced the addition of the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation and FNAWS to our Community Partner Program. The program’s purpose is to help expedite connecting 2%’ers to conservation causes and projects worthy of their time and dollars. Groups and projects that will make a real-world difference for wildlife and future generations.
Well, ORWSF is coming out swinging with a fantastic land acquisition project in Northeast Oregon.
In partnership with multiple agencies and groups, including 2% Founding Partners, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, ORWSF is working to raise funds to acquire OVER FIFTEEN THOUSAND ACRES (>23 square miles or >60 square kilometers) of gorgeous wildlife habitat.
The property is along the Minam River, primarily in Wallowa County with a small portion in Union County. It is next to the existing Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Minam River Wildlife Area, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Minam State Recreation Area, the US Forest Service Eagle Cap Wilderness, and Bureau of Land Management lands.
When acquired, it will be placed into the public trust, to be owned by US citizens, in perpetuity.
One of the main factors of appeal for the land is that it is a vital winter range for dozens of big game, fowl, and non-game species.
With ever-increasing development for industry and housing across the western United States, parcels like this are exceptionally rare.
And as “easy wins” go for conserving ecosystems at scale, opportunities like this are becoming near non-existent.
Ecosystems are NOT fungible, so when a chance to conserve an intact ecosystem at this scale come along, it behooves us to act.
This is a rare wooded mountainous ecosystem surrounded by dry high desert. The wildlife species here and in the surrounding desert depend on this “oasis” for feed and water when the lowland areas cannot sustain them. The wildlife carrying capacity of these +15,000 acres is several times higher than the surrounding area.
But, if this program does not go through, it’s also prime real estate for luxury housing developments — a development planning error made for the last several generations who now wonder “where did all the wildlife go?”
So how much does it cost?
Well, the total appraised value is sitting at $18,700,000. Not a small amount, but certainly attainable in the two-phase acquisition schedule they’re on. They closed on the Phase 1 parcel two months ago (4,605 acres) and have a closing deadline of December 2023 for Phase 2 (10,964 acres).
How can I get involved to either donate or help raise funds?
Get in touch with ORWSF through their Treasurer, Marcus Gores:
Cell: 971-998-2668
Email: info@oregonfnaws.org
Marcus, like many of you, is a volunteer. He’s doing this out of passion and drive for wildlife and the conservation movement. If you’re one of our business members or family foundations, you know that you can work with a guy like Marcus to leverage your donated dollars by 2-5x by developing donation matching or giveaway programs to raise funds for this.
And for you individuals: Even if you can only donate $5, it’s a boon to the volunteers involved with this program and will help them stay the course until every last dollar is raised to conserve this ecosystem!