High Desert Private Land Development

High Desert Chair: Anne Mitchell

Kiger Gorg, Steens Mountain - Walt Hunt

The Threats

One of the greatest challenges in the Steens-Alvord and other desert areas lies in curtailing the inappropriate development of private lands.

“Nothing but joy and delight, the freedom of solitude.”

Edward Abby

Private land development threatens wildlife corridors and habitat, solitude, and peaceful recreational opportunities. Such development could take a tremendous toll on Steens-Alvord wildlife habitat by fragmenting and degrading thousands of acres.

Under current zoning and Measure 37 claims, we could see 100's of houses built on Steens Mountain, and potential vacation homes are not the only problem here. In past years there have been proposals to build a commercial lodge on the mountain. A few years ago a zoning variance was approved for a commercial development at “The Narrows” near Malheur Wildlife Refuge and a camping facility and convenience market complex were built.

Being more remote, the Owyhee Canyonlands are currently under less development pressure, but the potential threat exists there as well.

Conservationist’s Solutions

Designation of Steens-Alvord as a protected area may provide the BLM with much-needed resources to acquire lands from willing sellers, giving the agency a chance to consolidate lands for more effective management. While passage of the act did involve some signinificant land exchanges, appropriation of funding legislated in the act for future acquisition and exchanges has been held up in Congress. Designation may also help the state of Oregon implement an additional conservation planning overlay that would encourage landowners to keep lands in open space--and help prevent “condo-mania” on Steens Mountain. While voluntary land trades were a critical part of the Steens bill, there are still many acres of private land which remain suseptible to development pressure.

Protecting private lands adjacent to or within the Steens Mountain Wilderness and wilderness study areas from development remains an issue which begs for resolution. The designation of other wilderness and land trades elsewhere will provide the needed protection for areas such as the Owyhee Canyonlands.