Antelope Creek-Paynes Cliffs – State Wildlife Action Plan

Photo is needed for this COA. — Submit photos to: OCS.Revision@ODFW.Oregon.gov

Geographic boundaries of the COAs were updated for the 2026 State Wildlife Action Plan and the associated COA profiles are intended to provide additional information. Content of each COA profile is being refined and will be updated to reflect current conditions when feasible. Please help us by submitting information on Local Conservation Actions, Plans, or Potential Partners to: OCS.revision@odfw.oregon.gov.

This area includes important and rare low elevation rocky outcropping and cliff habitat as well as Antelope Creek, historically one of the biggest producers of Summer Steelhead in the Rogue Watershed.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Acquire instream water rights to augment streamflows downstream of areas with high coho rearing densities, such as South Fork Little Butte Creek, to expand habitat and produce more fish.
Focus on providing additional instream flow and improved riparian habitat on South Fork Little Butte Creek and Antelop Creek, which are two of the most productive streams in the Rogue system, to ensure that available habitat can be utilized to the greatest extent possible.
Mimic historic disturbance regime with fire and mechanical treatments to restore Ceanothus Shrublands.
Promote the development of mature riparian habitat in natural bar or floodplain areas in the mainstem Rogue River to improve junvenile Fall Chinook habitat.
Restore ambient streamflow, fish passage, riparian vegetation, fish passage, floodplain connectivity, and in-stream structure.
Work with private landowners to protect Golden Eagles and other wildlife using rimrock and cliffs.

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Medford Parks Department: Prescott Park
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Souther Oregon Land Conservancy

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID KM-07 (Shady Cove foothills)
2006 COA ID KM-08 (North Medford area)
2006 COA ID KM-09 (Antelope Creek area)

Protected Areas

Agate Airways
Prescott Park
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Sharon Fen
Harnish Wayside Park
Hole-In-The-Rock
Hooper Springs Park
Howard Prairie Lake
Lost Lake
Lucas Park

Specialized Local Habitats

Bitterbrush Community
Cliffs and Rock Outcroppings

Ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, the interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range, and the Rogue and Umpqua river valleys. Several popular and scenic rivers run through the ecoregion, including the Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate rivers. Historically, this ecoregion is known …

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Key Habitats

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

Late Successional Mixed Conifer Forests

Late successional mixed conifer forests provide a multi-layered tree canopy, including large-diameter trees, shade-tolerant tree species in the understory, and a high volume of dead wood, such as snags and logs.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land that were formed through geological processes, such as glacial scouring, tectonic movements, volcanic activity and river meander cutoffs. In Oregon, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes. Depth is not a reference for characterization of …

Example of Oak Woodlands, which is a Strategy Habitat within the State Wildlife Action Plan

Oak Habitats

There are several oak habitat types in Oregon, where oaks comprise most of the canopy. These can include oak woodlands, oak forest, oak chaparral, and riparian oak. Oak savanna is covered in the Grasslands Key Habitat. Oaks may also co-dominate a canopy in oak/fir, oak pine, and oak hardwood habitats.

Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

Ponderosa pine woodlands are common in Oregon’s eastside ecoregions. While dominated by ponderosa pine, these woodlands may also have lodgepole pine, western juniper, aspen, western larch, grand fir, Douglas-fir, mountain mahogany, incense cedar, sugar pine, or white fir, depending on ecoregion and site conditions. Known for their open forest structure, these woodlands generally have fewer …

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.