Powder River Sage-Grouse Core Area – State Wildlife Action Plan

Powder River Sage-Grouse Core Area with Lookout Mountain in the background. Photo Credit: Keith Kohl, ODFW

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.

Located immediately north of Pleasant valley, adjacent to Wallowa Mountains COA, including a significant stretch of the Powder River.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Continue to restore and maintain Sagebrush habitats
Restore or enhance riparian habitats

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Bureau of Land Management
Powder Basin Watershed Council
Oregon Department of Agriculture

Special Features

General

Area includes significant amount of Greater sage-grouse core area
Area provides high-quality habitat for many Strategy Species

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID BM-19 (Baker Valley)

Protected Areas

Flagstaff
Keating Riparian Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Keating Riparian Research Natural Area
Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Powder River
Powder River Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Thief Valley Reservoir
Wallowa Whitman

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.

Key Habitats

Grasslands

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

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.