John Day Acquisitions

Western Rivers Conservancy used our funding to protect 22,032 acres of land along a spectacular 10-mile stretch of Oregon’s Wild and Scenic John Day River. WRC purchased two adjacent ranches and, in 2019, transferred them to the Bureau of Land Management, creating one of the most important public boating access sites in the John Day River canyon and opening new overland access to 78,000 acres of existing public land for hikers, anglers, hunters, mountain bikers and others. WRC’s protection of this wild expanse of sagebrush steppe will benefit over 200 species of wildlife, including native summer steelhead, spring Chinook, pronghorn and Oregon’s largest herd of bighorn sheep, all of which depend on these lands and a healthy John Day River for survival.