Wilderness designation for Spring Basin would create permanent protection for the area’s fragile desert soils, delicate plants, and scenic vistas.  Under the management afforded Wilderness Study Areas by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Spring Basin has remained a protected roadless area ensuring its wilderness characteristics.  However, these protections are not permanent and leave the area vulnerable to growing threats such as illegal off-road vehicle use.

Landowners adjacent to Spring Basin, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, have worked with ONDA to propose several land exchanges that would improve public access to Spring Basin and the John Day River.  These exchanges also consolidate land ownership for private landowners and the BLM, which helps facilitate management.  The land exchanges are part of the Spring Basin Wilderness proposal that now awaits action from Oregon’s Congressional delegation.

Spring Basin is already identified as one of the most prized lands managed by the BLM by its inclusion as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. BLM’s Conservation System is a national network of the last places where you can experience the history and wild beauty of the American West. These National Monuments, like the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Wilderness Areas, including Steens Mountain, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and National Historic Trails provide a truly unique American experience.