MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) capped several years of collaborative efforts to successfully conserve, protect and add 1,073 more acres to the Minam River Wildlife Area (MRWA), expanding it to 16,646 acres in northeast Oregon.
The project links the MRWA with about 2.5 million acres of adjoining public lands at the confluence of the Minam and Wallowa Rivers and ensures that nearly the entire 52-mile length of the Minam River now has continuous public access.
“There are indeed tremendous public access benefits for hunters, anglers, hikers and others to experience this beautiful landscape, but the wildlife values of this project cannot be overstated,” said RMEF President and CEO Kyle Weaver. “This acquisition conserves crucial winter range and habitat for elk, mule and whitetail deer, moose and other species along a wildlife migration corridor in support of Secretarial Order 3362.”
As a fishery, Minam River supplies vital spawning, rearing and migration habitat for Snake River spring/summer-run Chinook salmon (federal and state threatened), Snake River Basin steelhead (federal threatened), Grande Ronde bull trout (federal threatened) and Pacific lamprey (state sensitive).
The transaction not only protects the open space values of the land, but it also allows ODFW to supply and oversee consistent land and wildlife management practices across a broad landscape.
“The Minam is one of the most ecologically important rivers in the state, and ODFW has wanted to protect this special area since the 1960s,” said ODFW Director Debbie Colbert. “We thank RMEF, the USDA Forest Legacy Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Manulife, other partners and the hard work of our northeast Oregon staff for bringing this project to completion.”
Access is available via State Highway 82, County Road 509 and U.S. Forest Service Big Canyon Road.
ODFW, RMEF, Manulife Investment Management Timber and Agriculture Inc., and other partners conserved and opened public access to 4,600 acres of the MRWA in 2021 and nearly 11,000 more acres in late 2023.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded in 1984 and fueled by hunters, RMEF has conserved more than 8.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation” ® at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.