Resilient Landscapes Initiative Helps to Conserve 4,500 acres in Central Oregon

Located north of Madras, Oregon, Priday Ranch includes 10 miles of steelhead spawning streams, rugged lands that are home to golden eagles, mule deer, and Rocky Mountain elk, and spaces that are culturally significant to Oregon tribes. Thanks to the Deschutes Land Trust and donors to the Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative, this area will be conserved for future generations.

“Conserving the 4,500-acre Priday Ranch on Trout Creek creates an important refuge for plants and animals in a warming climate. The Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative was vital to making this project a reality,” said Brad Nye, Deschutes Land Trust’s conservation director. “Priday Ranch is the type of project we had envisioned—benefiting people and nature as we contend with climate change and other pressures on our lands and waters,” said Carlos Garcia, OCF’s environmental resource officer. “This and the other projects in the Resilient Landscapes Initiative represent the best conservation opportunities across the Pacific Northwest.”

Deschutes Land Trust will work with partners and neighbors, including the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, to develop management strategies for the long-term stewardship of the property. 

With the support of individual donors and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Initiative committed $500,000 to help preserve Priday Ranch. OCF, Idaho Community Foundation, Seattle Foundation, and the Land Trust Alliance formed the Initiative to bring together expertise, resources, and donor communities in supporting land trusts as they undertake ambitious projects that not only preserve habitat for plants and wildlife, but also strengthen human communities with benefits such as improving access to clean water, reducing flooding risks, preserving farmlands, and offering spaces for recreation and solace. 

To Learn More

• Join fellow donors and be part of the Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative
• Take a virtual tour of Priday Ranch and read the announcement

Photo by Ryder Redfield