Grant in the Spotlight: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Image courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
The Wyss Foundation is excited to spotlight a $5,000,000 grant to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for the acquisition of the 15,500-acre Minam River Ranch in Northeast Oregon and its transfer to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This project protects riparian areas along one of Oregon’s most ecologically important rivers and links critical wildlife habitat.
The Minam River Ranch property contains six miles of the Minam River and an extensive network of perennial and intermittent streams. Native runs of iconic anadromous fish, including Snake River Chinook salmon and steelhead, travel through the property to the upper reaches of the Minam River. The landscape is also a critical link between the Eagle Cap Wilderness to the south and the Wild and Scenic Wallowa River corridor to the north. The property’s mixed forests, woodland savannahs, rangelands, and riparian areas provide habitat for a herd of more than 200 elk, as well as Canada lynx, bobcats, mountain lions, and numerous other large mammalian species found in the adjacent wilderness area. This property is now part of the new Minam River State Wildlife Area and will be conserved in perpetuity with open access to the public.
“The Minam River Wildlife Area took flight thanks to the Wyss Foundation’s trust in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It is a 15,500-acre landscape-scale conservation success story that creates a quilt of public access,” said Jenn Doherty, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s director of land conservation and access. “The healthy elk and mule deer populations that this project protected are dear to many partners that care for the land and wildlife. More than 110 miles of riparian habitat make this one of Oregon’s top ecologically important landscapes and we couldn’t be more thrilled to drive this project to the finish line.”
“The Wyss Foundation is very proud to support the conservation of this critical wildlife habitat and ecologically important landscape in Eastern Oregon. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation worked tirelessly alongside numerous partners to increase public access and recreational opportunities in the area, and conserve land and water for future generations,” said Molly McUsic, Wyss Foundation president.
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About the Wyss Foundation – The Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation - Founded in 1984 and fueled by hunters, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has conserved more than 8.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. The Foundation 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.