Grant Highlight
Oregon Natural Desert Association

by Nancy Neyenhouse, Chair - Community Grants Committee

Being a member of the Mountaineers Foundation Community Grants Committee has great perks. Not only do I have the opportunity to actively support great community environmental organizations and programs that further the Foundation's mission of protecting natural areas, but I can actually visit the places where this work is being done. This August, my husband and I visited the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA), headquartered in Bend, Oregon. Jefferson Jacobs, Outreach Director, spent the day with us, taking us to sites where ONDA is actively removing barbed wire from former ranch lands now set aside as wilderness, refuge, or conservation areas and restoring riparian habitat.

The Mountaineer Foundation has a longstanding relationship with ONDA. The organization was founded in 1987 with a mission to protect, defend, and restore the health of Oregon's native deserts. The Foundation has been supporting this mission since 2001. Granted funds from have been used to educate and fight for wilderness designation and for the elimination of the adverse ecological impacts of domestic livestock grazing.

The day began with an overview of the areas in which ONDA is currently active with their large cadre of volunteers. Presently, ONDA volunteers are heavily involved in projects in the Pine Creek Conservation Area, removing old barbed wire fencing from former ranch lands and planting trees along streams that have been decimated by domestic cattle grazing. The area we visited had been cleared of barbed wire earlier in the year by volunteers from both the Great Old Broads and the Mazamas.

Walking up and over the hills with Jefferson was a treat. His passion and excitement about what ONDA does and his work with the volunteers was evident with every step we took. Plus camping out with the Great Old Broads and the Mazamas for days at a time wasn't a bad gig either! Volunteers have pulled nearly 10 miles of barbed wire fencing from this area. After it is pulled and bundled, it is removed and what isn't terribly rusted, is recycled for use by farmers and ranchers in other areas - great for community relations.

Years of cattle grazing and beaver trapping in the Pine Creek Conservation Area reduced once beautiful riparian habitat, full of beaver, into dry, dusty canyons. Instead of streams overflowing their banks behind beaver dams, the water cut a deep path straight down into the land, forming stream canyons 30-40 feet deep, devoid of vegetation. The beautiful result of volunteers planting trees along these streams is the return of a healthy population of beavers, damming streams to provide habitat for waterfowl and a host of other animals.

The Mountaineers Foundation is proud to be in partnership with the Oregon Natural Desert Association. Next time you are in the Bend, Oregon area, stop by for a visit. You'll be happy you did.

Kitsap Cabin/Rhododendron Preserve Donor Celebration

November 8th - 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Join us for a celebration of the restoration of the historic Kitsap Cabin and your support of our stewardship of the Rhododendron Preserve, and see a preview of the great Mountaineers educational programs coming to the preserve. We will have outings to view the spawning Chum salmon in Chico Creek guided by experts. Come and learn details of our education program offerings on the property. We also have some exciting news we will share for the first time at this event.

• Where: Kitsap Cabin
• When: November 8th - 12:00pm - 6:00pm
• Program: Start 4:00pm
• Chico Creek Salmon Tours with Salmon Expert (all day)
• Rhododendron Preserve Announcement (shhh, it's a secret)
• Kitsap Cabin Restoration Update
• Complimentary Light Dinner (approx. 5:00 p.m.)

RSVP: Click here or phone 206-701-9450 - leave a message with your name and number of guests.