Land trust acquires nearly 7,000-acre Wheeler County conservation easement

To protect habitat, reduce threat of development near Mitchell, Painted Hills

MITCHELL, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Blue Mountain Land Trust announced Friday it has acquired a conservation easement on 6,798 acres of property in Wheeler County. With this easement, BMLT more than doubles its protected acreage, to 13,298 acres across southeastern Washington and eastern Oregon.

The easement was purchased last month from Terry and Peggy Long of Mitchell. The property is adjacent to the Painted Hills National Monument. Its protection will provide and preserve contiguous habitat for elk, mule deer, upland birds, and other wildlife in the area.

The conservation easement will reduce the threat of development that could threaten the area's habitat and incredible geologic features. The property also contains 3.1 miles of Bear Creek, an Endangered Species Act-listed salmon, and steelhead spawning stream.

"When we purchased the property, it was evident that it had been overgrazed, and Bear Creek had very little cover or riparian vegetation. We immediately started working on improving the land and bringing it back to a level that would sustain agriculture and fish and wildlife habitat," said Peggy Long.

A new bridge and culvert were built, the stream was planted, filled with Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs), and fenced by partners including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District.

The landowners have removed thousands of acres of juniper in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and will continue those improvements to the rangeland. Those restoration investments are now permanent.

"Once we learned about the working lands conservation easement, we realized that this was a perfect way to protect our improvements and ensure good stewardship of the land into the future," Terry Long explained. Protecting this land from development or fragmentation allows future generations the ability to continue farming and to enjoy the wonderful natural resources this property has to offer."

The acquisition took over three years and brought together the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) and NRCS as project funders for the first time in recent years. These funders worked with Blue Mountain Land Trust to blend ecological protections and goals with the needs of working lands.

The property will continue to be grazed, and 55 acres of crops will be grown, while the rangeland and riparian areas are managed for ecological outcomes.

The Blue Mountain Land Trust, headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington, was established in 1999. The Land Trust has a second office in John Day, Oregon. It serves Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties in Washington and Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Gilliam, Grant, and Wheeler counties in Oregon. It is accredited by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission.

For more information about the Blue Mountain Land Trust, see bmlt.org.