Desert Conference 2004 September 9-12, 2004 Bruce Babbitt and William Kittredge Keynote Speakers Malheur Field Station Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon
Desert Conference Please join us for the 24th (almost) annual Desert Conference. The conference is dedicated to bringing together, educating and inspiring those who care about the high desert sagebrush lands of the Great Basin and beyond. On this 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, we will recognize what we have achieved and what we must do to further protect and restore this fragile and extraordinary desert landscape. We ll do so with a full day of field trips exploring Steens Mountain, the Pueblos, Alvord desert and the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, followed by a full day of presentations and discussions on Wilderness protection, wildlife, land-use and other issues important to those who care about, enjoy and are interested in the Sagebrush Sea. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow desert enthusiasts, learn about and get involved in the latest conservation efforts, and to explore. And this year we have the privilege of hearing from both author William Kittredge and former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt as our keynote speakers. Conference Planning Committee: American Lands Alliance, Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Chapter Sierra Club, Oregon Natural Desert Association, Oregon Trout, Trout Unlimited, The Wilderness Society Desert Conference Co-sponsors include: Advocates for the West, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, The Larch Company, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Sims Company, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, The Wildlands Project Contact Information More information and pdf version of registration: www.onda.org/events/index.htm General conference questions: Melanie Mercer (206) 624-6430 x 240 or mmercer@twsnw.org
Agenda THURSDAY, September 9 2:00PM Registration until 11 PM (registration desk, Malcolm Hall) 6:00PM Dinner (Dining Hall) 7:30PM Slideshows (audio-visual room, Malcolm Hall) The Sagebrush Sea Soda Mountain and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument The Owyhee Canyonlands FRIDAY, September 10 6:30AM Hot Beverages in Hospitality Room (Greasewood Room) 7:00AM Breakfast; pack sack lunches (Dining Hall) 8:15AM Full-Day Field Trips (meet in parking lot, except field trip #4) 1. Wildhorse Lake Alice Elshoff, Oregon Natural Desert Association and Malheur Wildlife Associates 2. Carlson Creek Jerry Sutherland, Oregon Chapter Sierra Club 3. Pueblo Foothills RNA Chris Egertson, Oregon Natural Desert Association 4. Little Blitzen Gorge Tim Lillebo, Oregon Natural Resources Council (meet at South Steens Horse Campground at 8:30AM; bring your own breakfast and lunch for Friday) 5. Donner und Blitzen River Jason Miner, Oregon Trout 6. Borax Lake Dick Vander Schaaf, The Nature Conservancy 7. Big Indian Gorge Katie Fite, Western Watersheds Project 8. Diamond Craters Ellen Bishop, photographer/author 9. Malheur Birding Craig Miller, Oregon Natural Desert Association 6:00PM Dinner (last names A-M; Dining Hall) 6:30PM Dinner (last names N-Z; Dining Hall) 7:45PM Conference Welcome 8:00PM William Kittredge, author of Hole in the Sky, Who Owns the West, The Nature of Generosity and other books 9:00PM Desert Rat Poetry Festival, hosted by Elizabeth Quinn, producer of the burgeoning High Desert Journal SATURDAY, September 11 6:30AM Hot Beverages in Hospitality Room (Greasewood Room) 7:00AM Breakfast (Dining Hall) 8:00AM Plenary Session - Wilderness Protection in the Sagebrush Sea 9:15AM Break 9:30AM Plenary Session - Threats to the Sagebrush Sea (Lg. Conf. Room)
10:45AM Break 11:00AM Plenary Session - Imperiled Sagebrush Sea Species 12:00PM Lunch (last names A-M; Dining Hall) 12.30PM Lunch (last names N-Z; Dining Hall) 1:30PM Break-Out Sessions, Round 1 (please choose one) Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area: Legislation Raptors of the Sagebrush Sea Mining and Energy Development in the Sagebrush Sea Update: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument BLM Planning/Conservation Outreach and Organizing 2:30PM 2:45PM 3:45PM 4:00PM 5:00PM 6:00PM 6:45PM 7:45PM 9:00PM Agenda (continued) Break Break-Out Sessions, Round 2 (please choose one) Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area: Management Ecology and Management of Western Juniper Imperiled Species of the Sagebrush Sea Imperiled Desert Fish and Desert Streams in the Sagebrush Sea Legitimate and Illegitimate! Roads in the Sagebrush Sea Break Break-Out Sessions, Round 3 (please choose one) Protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands The Future of Citizen Wilderness Inventories Tenth Anniversary of Cow-Free Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge Water in the Sagebrush Sea: Is There Enough to Go Around? Invasive Species in the Sagebrush Sea Denzel Ferguson Memorial Social Hour (Greasewood Room) Dinner (last names A-M; Dining Hall) Dinner (last names N-Z; Dining Hall) Bruce Babbitt, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Music,Wine, and Dessert (Greasewood Room) SUNDAY, September 12 6:30AM Hot Beverages in the Hospitality Room (Greasewood Room) 7:00AM Breakfast; pack sack lunches (Dining Hall) 8:15AM Pending Sagebrush Sea Wilderness Legislation 9:30AM Voluntary Grazing Permit Buyout 10:30AM Closing Remarks Conference Adjourns - Safe Travels!
More Information Steens Mountain Fence Pull Sept. 5-9 The Oregon Natural Desert Association and Oregon Trout cordially invite you to join us September 5-9, just before Desert Conference, for a fence pull party in the new Steens Mountain Wilderness. We ll hike, camp, and remove obsolete barbed-wire fence in the new cow-free wilderness. This is a great way to experience Steens Mountain and give something back to native wildlife. Contact Tara to sign up: (503) 525-0193 or trgunter@onda.org Desert Rat Poetry Festival Don t forget to bring your brilliant poetry to read during the Desert Rat Poetry Festival on Friday night at Desert Conference! This year, the festival will be hosted by Elizabeth Quinn, editor of the soon to be produced High Desert Journal. The journal is a non-profit arts and literary publication that provides a forum for creative expression and greater understanding of the high desert landscape. Jamming at Desert Conference If you are a musician and like to share your talents with others, you are invited to do so on Saturday night at Desert Conference. Following the keynote presentation by Bruce Babbitt, we will head to the Greasewood Room for wine, light desserts, and music. Please bring your instrument if so inclined. Art in the Desert Art in the Desert features an exhibit of artists working in desert themes. The show is open to conference participants who would like to exhibit their own work. Please feel free to bring your work and add it to the exhibit, which will be featured in the Greasewood Room.
Details Location Malheur Field Station is located on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge about 30 miles south of Burns, Oregon. From Burns, take Route 78 east (signed to Winnemucca, NV). Shortly after leaving town look for a right hand turn onto Highway 205 (signed to Frenchglen). Travel south on Highway 205 for just over 23 miles, then turn left (east) just before mile marker 24, near recent commercial development. Proceed three miles and turn right (south) onto a gravel road at the MFS sign and mailbox. The field station is located between two buttes about 1.3 miles down the road. Phone number is (541)493-2629 Details / What to Expect -Upon arrival please verify your lodging, meals, and registration information in the Malcolm Hall. -Lodging is dorm style. Choose your preferred options on the registration form. -Bedding. Most beds are single. Bring you own bedding and towels. -Meals. Expect full breakfasts, sack lunches on Friday and Sunday, and hot dinners. Meals will all be vegetarian. Please select your meal preferences on the registration form. Some dorms also have kitchen options. -Cooking Facilities. If staying in a cooking dorm, all the basic kitchenware is provided (utensils, pots, pans, plates, glasses, silverware, etc.). No cooking on camp stoves is allowed. -Clothing. The secret to staying comfortable in this high desert region is to wear (or bring) layers, no matter the season. Remember hats (for sun and cold) and sunscreen. -Cell phone, internet, phone options. No internet access is available and cell phone coverage is unlikely. There is only one phone near the office which requires calling cards for longdistance calls. Please remember to bring your own bedding materials, flashlight, water (if you prefer water with a non-mineral taste), mug and anything else required for field trips or comfort. NO DOGS ALLOWED!!! No smoking is allowed in any building. For more information about the Malheur Field Station, go to www.malheurfieldstation.org or call (541) 493-2629.
Registration Detatch and mail with check to: Attn: Melanie Mercer, The Wilderness Society, 1424 Fourth Ave, Suite 816, Seattle, WA 98101 Name Street Address City, State, Zip Email Address Phone Number Yes, I am interested in volunteering. Field Trip Preference (indicate 1st and 2nd choices) 1) 2) Registration Options Full conference, including Friday field trip ($80) Partial conference, not including Friday field trip ($60) I am a presenter at the conference ($0 or donation) conference total $ Lodging Preference (indicate 1st and 2nd choices) If staying in non-cooking lodging, plan on signing up for meals. No camp stoves allowed. Co-ed, with cooking facilities ($20/night per person) Co-ed, with no cooking facilities ($18/night per person) Male only, no cooking facilities ($18/night per person) Female only, no cooking facilities ($18/night per person) RV Camping w/ hook-up ($16/night) RV Camping w/o hook-up ($8/night) Total # nights (out of 3) x cost per person = lodging total $ Meal Selection (all meals are vegetarian) Thursday Dinner (6pm, $9) Friday Breakfast ($7) Friday Lunch ($5) Friday Dinner ($9) Saturday Breakfast ($7) Sat. Lunch ($5) Sat. Dinner ($9) Sunday Breakfast ($7) Sunday Lunch ($5) meal total $ Total $ Make checks payable to: Malheur Field Station Send registration form and check to: Attn: Melanie Mercer The Wilderness Society 1424 Fourth Ave, Suite 816 Seattle, WA 98101