On the dry side of Mount Hood & Mount Adams, oak woodlands and rivers boast a unique diversity of wildlife, while forestry, agriculture, and recreation support local communities. Climate change and land use changes are depleting already rare habitats, including prairies and oak woodlands. Local populations are growing. In response, our strategy is to support community-owned forestry projects, form a partnership to conserve oak woodlands, and identify lands that offer access & education.
Regional Objectives
PROTECT and restore major eastside rivers and key tributaries.
PRESERVE oak woodland habitat systems and opportunities for wildlife migration and movement.
MAINTAIN the integrity of unique transition zones between riverside and upland habitats, high and low elevations, and wet and dry climates.
COLLABORATE with local stakeholders and increase public awareness about the benefits of oak woodlands, sustainable forestry, river conservation, and ecological processes.
SUPPORT community leaders in championing conservation strategies and leading implementation.
Conservation Opportunity Areas
Priority 1: Klickitat River, Wasco Oaks
Priority 2: Hood River, Trout Lake Valley
Priority 3: Little White Salmon, Lower White Salmon, Rattlesnake Creek, Conboy Lake
The Agenda at Work
“We’ve got to find ways to work within these systems rather than apart from them.”
—ROBIN DOBSON, Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service
Robin Dobson has spent decades studying the unique ecosystems of the East Cascades, where Oregon white oak woodlands support a diverse array of wildlife. Mounting development pressures in the area prompted Columbia Land Trust and conservation group Pacific Birds to establish the East Cascades Oaks Partnership in 2016. The nascent partnership, which includes Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, state and federal agencies, conservation districts, and scientists like Dobson, is building a collaborative strategy for conserving and restoring vital oak habitats.
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