Blazing sun, thick brush, and rugged country. All of these come to mind when thinking of Oregon’s high desert. BHA’s Oregon stewardship project encounters these characteristics daily, as we work towards the replacement of over 20 miles of antiquated cattle fence on public lands.

Our area of operation is a 40-mile-long boundary fence the spans the border between the Deschutes National Forest and BLM land, starting at Bend, OR and working its way southeast through the desert. This land is some of the most pristine sagebrush steppe habitat in the country, and is home to deer, elk, antelope, sage grouse, and numerous other species. This fence represents a major obstacle to migrating deer and elk as they head into their winter range from the Cascades, as well as to sage grouse which are notorious for impacting wire fences. Our goal with this project is to increase wildlife survivability during their most vulnerable times, as well as increase overall habitat quality for wildlife.

I spend most of my week camped out at the project site, located about 45 minutes southeast of Bend to maximize productivity and minimize fuel used. Due to the sensitive nature of the area, all of our fence materials are packed out by hand, from the nearest forest service road to the actual location of the fence, so I begin my day at sunrise. I try to do most of my packing between 5am and 8am to avoid the heat, carrying out about 70 six-foot T-posts for every quarter mile, as well as bringing a half-roll of wire and 3 eight-foot wood posts a quarter mile for every section of fence for H-braces.

The wire, which comes in quarter-mile rolls, is walked the length of the fence. This can be either the easiest part of our day or the worst, depending on the thickness of the sage and juniper, as well as the topography of the section. This area is deceivingly diverse, covered in canyons, lava flows, and coulees that remain unseen until you are in them. These low spots are excellent hiding places for antelope and sage grouse, both of which I see quite often.

Lastly, we stretch the wire and clip it onto the posts for support. The whole operation is slow and labor intensive. Thankfully, we often receive support from local volunteers, especially the Central Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, whose weekly crews have become an integral part of the system. They are especially helpful with the removal of old wire, which, in the past, has simply been left on the range in piles, creating yet another obstacle for the wildlife that migrate through these corridors.

There is no getting around it, this is hard work in a hard country. However, the results of this work are almost immediate. Seeing antelope in areas that only a week ago were inaccessible to them is heartwarming and satisfying. It gives the motivation to keep working through the heat and dust. This kind of work is being done all over the west by a dedicated group of BHA habitat stewards, but you don’t have to work in the industry to contribute. Come to one of our volunteer workdays, and participate in one of the most ambitious habitat restoration projects in the west. Make sure to go to  https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events and check for upcoming events near you!