45 Ranch/Owyhee Canyonlands Project
| Introduction
The Owyhee Canyonlands located in the remote southwestern corner of Idaho, are one of the last great desert wilderness areas remaining in North America. High sage plateaus and magnificent fissures have been carved by the Owyhee River and its tributaries into canyons as deep as 700 feet, leaving behind spectacular rock pinnacles and formations of basalt and rhyolite. In the heart of this awesome and isolated landscape lies the "45" Ranch, which has been recently acquired by The Nature Conservancy of Idaho. The "45" headquarters is one of the only inhabited developments in the entire Canyonlands region, and its nearly 70,000 acres span from the Oregon border on the northwest to the Nevada state line on the southeast. Protecting Wildlife The Canyonlands are home to the largest population of California bighorn sheep in the world. Once common to the region, the sheep were eliminated from the Owyhee by 1923, and by 1950 only 200 animals remained in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Today, after vigorous re-introduction efforts by the Idaho Fish and Game Department, the Owyhee population numbers between 800 and 900, and is the primary source for other re-introduction efforts across the Bighorn's former range.. In addition to bighorn sheep, the "45" and the surrounding high desert are inhabited by mule deer, sage grouse, antelope, mountain lion, bobcat, river otter and several species of fish including the rare red band trout. The Ranch is also an active cattle ranch, which the Conservancy will continue to run, but in a manner compatible with wildlife needs. Preserving a Way of Life The purchase of the "45" ranch has put the Conservancy in a unique position to improve habitat management throughout the Owyhee Canyonlands - an effort which has been overwhelmingly difficult for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which owns more than 75 % of the land. Years of failed range reforms and lawsuits have created a hostile attitude toward the BLM by area ranchers. The Conservancy is interested in cooperating with the BLM on range improvements, but also in forming partnerships with local ranchers to lessen the impacts of grazing reform on them and encourage improved land stewardship. Recreational Values Because of its spectacular beauty and recreational values, the Canyonlands have been recommended for both Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River designations. The "45" Ranch encompasses over 32 miles of the South Fork and Main Owyhee Rivers, both popular runs for river floaters during the spring and early summer. The Conservancy's purchase of the "45" ensures that public access to these rivers will be preserved in perpetuity. The Owyhee Canyonlands is a challenging and exciting new initiative for The Nature Conservancy of Idaho to apply the conservation experience gained by working in rural Idaho communities for the past 20 years. Success in the Canyonlands will not only help protect a national treasure of unparalleled beauty for future generations, but help preserve the rapidly disappearing lifestyle of the American West, and the many species of wildlife which rely on large isolated landscapes. |
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