The Conservation Alliance board of directors approved a $10,000 discretionary grant to Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) to support the group’s effort to secure permanent protection for Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands. ONDA is the driving force behind a coalition campaign to pass legislation to protect roughly two million acres of high desert and river canyons as Wilderness and National Conservation Area. If Congress fails to move legislation, the coalition hopes President Obama will protect the landscape as a national monument.
Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands are in the Southeastern corner of the state, bordering Idaho and Nevada. In 2009, Idaho protected 500,000 acres of its piece of the Owyhee as Wilderness. The region is known for its world-class whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, and general remoteness and solitude.
The Conservation Alliance board has the authority to make discretionary grants not to exceed $10,000 to projects with an urgent and time-sensitive need. This is a crucial year for the Owyhee campaign, justifying the discretionary funding. We have also funded The Wilderness Society and Conservation Lands Foundation for their respective roles in the effort. We will keep you posted as the campaign progresses.
ONDA Receives $10,000 Discretionary Grant
