North Fork Malheur-Monument Rock Area – 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.

At the border of Baker and Grant Counties, following the North Fork Malheur River and adjacent to Monument Rock Wilderness.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance Aspen Woodland habitats
Maintain and restore sagebrush-steppe habitats
Restore and maintain complex, continuous sage habitat

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Eastern Oregon Bird Conservation Plan
Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy
Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
The Nature Conservancy
US Forest Service

Special Features

General

Ecologically diverse area including 5 different sub-ecoregions ranging from the Continental Zone Foothills up through the Subalpine Zone
Includes ODFW Greater sage-grouse core area
includes significant stretches of the North Fork Malheur and Little Malheur Rivers
North Fork Malheur Wild and Scenic River

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID BM-15 (North Fork Malheur - Monument Rock area)
2006 COA ID BM-16 (Bully Creek area)

Ecoregions

Blue Mountains

Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.

Northern Basin and Range

The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion covers the very large southeastern portion of the state, from Burns south to the Nevada border and from the Christmas Valley east to Idaho. It is largely a high elevation desert-like area dominated by sagebrush communities and habitats.

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 …

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.