Western Rivers Conservancy
$50,00

To uphold a wild sagebrush landscape and connect people with Oregon’s premier wild river landscape along the Oregon Trail, Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC) is permanently protecting the historic McDonald’s Ferry Ranch on the lower John Day River (COA 153). When WRC places the land in public hands in 2023, it will put in place a critical piece of the puzzle for recovering the region’s native fish and wildlife while also securing prized public access to three miles of the Wild & Scenic John Day River that features the last boating access site to the river and a segment of the Oregon Trail at McDonald’s Ferry Crossing. Working with the Bureau of Land Management, Warm Springs Tribes, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and local partners, the project will expand outdoor access to rural residents and visitors, advance tribal stewardship of ancestral lands, and improve habitat for many sensitive species, including summer steelhead, bighorn sheep, loggerhead shrike, pronghorn, mule deer, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, sage sparrow and many others.

Project Report