Conservation success means new access to John Day River
CONDON — At the heart of the John Day Wild and Scenic River corridor, Western Rivers Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management have created new overland recreational access to 78,000 acres of public lands in a conservation project that will benefit fish, wildlife, recreationists and the communities of Oregon’s John Day River.
Western Rivers Conservancy completed on Aug. 20 the conveyance of two ranches to the BLM, which will now manage all 11,154 acres of the properties as public open space. This enables hunters, anglers, boaters, hikers and other recreationists to explore a slice of Oregon that was formerly inaccessible without trespassing or without a boat. Of these lands, 2,000 acres of existing public lands were completely cut off to the public by private property.
“This is a landmark achievement for the John Day River and recreationists alike,” said Sue Doroff, president of Western Rivers Conservancy. “People can now experience a spectacular stretch of one of the West’s great wild and scenic river corridors. At the same time, they can take pride in knowing that the lands they’re exploring are protected for fish and wildlife — animals they will very likely see while visiting this special place.”
The John Day River is home to the healthiest run of wild summer steelhead in the Columbia River Basin and to one of the basin’s most important runs of wild Chinook salmon. It also flows through the heart of bighorn sheep country, supporting over 600 head, the largest herd in Oregon.
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