In the northern reaches of the Great Basin, a herd of
more than 6,000 pronghorn antelope roams across a high desert
range. Two islands of this vast desert are protected by federal
refuges, but thousands of acres that straddle the Oregon-Nevada
border separate them. A coalition of environmental groups led by
the Oregon Natural Desert Association wants to link the Hart
Mountain National Antelope Refuge and the Sheldon National Wildlife
Refuge by protecting a total of 1.1 million acres. The concept is
explained in the ONDA’s 16-page “Proposal for the Nomination of the
Pronghorn Area of Critical Environmental Concern.” It notes that
before European settlement, the West’s pronghorn population was
estimated at between 30 million and 40 million and the animal’s
original range extended beyond that of the bison.
For a copy of the proposal, contact the Oregon
Natural Desert Association at 732 SW Third Ave., Ste. 407,
Portland, OR 97204 (503/228-9720). It can also be viewed at
www.onda.org. The BLM has just begun considering the proposal and
will accept comments at BLM, 1000 S. Ninth St., Lakeview, OR
97630.
* Dustin Solberg
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline High desert pronghorn.
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