The John Day River is the longest undammed river West of the Rockies and is designated Wild and Scenic. From its headwaters in the Strawberry Mountains near Prairie City, the river runs, unencumbered, nearly 284 miles through archaeological sites, historical areas, and canyons. The varied sections of habitat provide life both above and below the water line. It hosts runs of Chinook salmon, steelhead, and other game fish including great bass fishing in the heat of summer. The riparian areas are filled with bighorn sheep, deer, game birds, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and countless other species.

The river is an exceptional float and attracts rafters from all around the Pacific Northwest to its tranquil waters. That is until, the notorious Tumwater Falls—a class-five waterfall that is surrounded by private land. So where are rafters, boaters, and floaters supposed to take out? That’d be McDonald’s Ferry Ranch. This 4,054-acre parcel near Wasco, Oregon is a place where recreationists have taken out from their multi-day float, hiked along the Oregon trail, and chased chukar through the rugged John Day valley.

Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC), a conservation group dedicated to protecting rivers in the West, first purchased land along the John Day in September of 2008. Their strategy is to acquire, and then convey these properties to federal, tribal, local, or state land management agencies. In the case of the now-named Cottonwood Canyon State Park, upstream of McDonald’s Ferry, they purchased that property to turn it over to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).

Since then, local businesses such as the Wasco House Bed and Breakfast have seen an uptick in visitation to the area. “When they (WRC and OPRD) first developed Cottonwood Canyon State Park, we weren’t expecting to get much business from it. However, we have several guests come out every year to fish the John Day and one or two groups that float it,” share Dave Bergmann and Lisa D’Arcy, who own the hospitality business. They remember a time when they used to be the only two hiking the area, yet now, there are 20 or 30 people out there on the trails. Not to worry, “It’s a huge park and it’s not crowded,” they say. For them, Wasco seems to be a stopover town for folks heading out to the Painted Hills, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, or even the farther reaches of places like Smith Rock, however, the hope is that the recreational gem of McDonald’s Ferry Ranch might just slow them down a little bit and adventurers might stay a while.

McDonald’s Ferry Ranch Walk-In Program

While under the management of WRC, which has been about three years, the McDonald’s Ferry Ranch has provided recreational access to hikers, boaters, and hunters. WRC’s dedication to hunting access propelled them to seek out Brandon Dyches of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who manages the state’s Hunt By Reservation program. WRC enrolled the ranch into the program which granted Dyches administrative oversight of the property’s hunting access. This ensures rich hunting experiences and empowers landowners to allow access and manage their property the way they want to. “They were a small landowner willing to allow hunting access, but didn’t have the time or resources to do so,” says Dyches. In the first year, they had 85 reservations and 155 hunters. Harvest was mostly chukar. “Access is the biggest problem. There’s Bureau of Land Management peppered through there that got locked up by little ranchettes or old homesteads. We were able to handle that access and keep hunt quality really high,” reflects Dyches. 

Opening up these parcels, including McDonald’s Ferry Ranch and Cottonwood Canyon, allows people to break up their explorations into smaller chunks, “The spirit is now that the average recreationist doesn’t have to commit six days to the John Day.” Day trippers from Portland, Hood River, and nearby areas can experience this valley. This access and the proximity to his then-home in Portland, are what drew hunter, Jesse Abel, to the program and McDonald’s Ferry in the first place. 

The Hunt

As a new hunter, Jesse needed to know where he could hunt. He had picked up hunting to eat sustainably, learn about ecology, and get in better shape. Like most new hunters, he didn’t know where to go. “onX has been helpful because I didn’t have any idea about land ownership, so the (Hunt By Reservation program) was really comforting to know ‘I’m allowed to be here.’ There wasn’t anyone to tell me to ‘get lost.’” He goes on to say, “You’re pretty nervous your first time, so the Hunt By Reservation was really nice for getting started and to know this is totally sanctioned.” 

The morning started with a car camp on nearby BLM land and a drive over to the parking lot at McDonald’s Ferry. He started up a few drainages whacking at shrub brush coaxing a chukar, a bird he’d never seen before, to emerge. As the dawn light cast its warm glow deeper into the canyons, around 7:30 a.m., a herd of deer crested a ridge in full sprint. “They were all huffing and puffing, and you could see the steam because it was early and cold.” Something, perhaps one of the coyotes Abel saw or the nearby pheasant hunters, had spooked them. “It was fun because I watched them approach me for a long time. They had no idea I was there,” he reflects. 

“The whole property is dynamic. There are all these big rocky cliffs. I only covered about half of it.” Following up on a tip from another hunter, he ascended a draw where they were known to be and where the only escape would be direct flight descending the drainage—exactly where Abel was standing. “About 30 of them go flying past me making a big commotion. I shot the tenth one or whatever—I wasn’t quick or skilled then. I’ve since gotten better. They’re so camouflaged that I didn’t want to lose that one, so I didn’t shoot any of the others, and just kept eye contact with that one.” Even then, he walked across the ravine to near-ten feet of where it dropped and still had to use onX to recover the perfectly blended-in bird. 

In total, he walked about 12 miles around the ranch including walking along the Oregon Trail. The trail switchbacks down the canyon to where a ferry would shuttle wagons across the river in the 1800s. The wagon ruts are still visible on the property. The terrain that chukar like to live in is tough. “Since picking up chukar hunting, I’ve bought a pair of mountain climbing boots, really really stiff ones so your ankle doesn’t roll.” It’s amazing that pioneers in their wagon carts could do this across such rugged terrain.

Connecting Parcels and Dissolving Landlocked Boundaries

As of Wednesday, August 30, WRC conveyed the property to the Bureau of Land Management. While the management plans are yet to be finalized, users can expect that the property will fall under the BLM’s plan for the John Day as a whole. As Dyches referenced, the property, at 4,054 acres, is neighbored by parcels of both private and public. 

One particular piece of land is a 598-acre BLM-owned area that was previously landlocked. This result is what makes the work of WRC so special. “This opened up acres of public land, in a county that doesn’t have much of it on a wild and scenic river,” shares Alex Barton, a Project Manager for Western Rivers Conservancy. “The vast majority of these projects have a natural, long-term steward.” There’s a Plan A—meaning that the property of interest is adjacent to a land management agency like the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or BLM. “In the case of McDonald’s Ferry, the BLM was motivated to acquire it and they managed lands adjacent to it.” Between their first project in Cottonwood Canyon and this, they had worked with the BLM to protect the lower nine miles of Thirtymile Creek—a coldwater refuge for steelhead. “We had a recent history with them, a positive working relationship, the funding from Land and Water Conservation Fund, and they are the big public landowner in the area which makes them a really logical long-term steward.” While there are countless factors that go into these transactions, and oftentimes a Plan B or C, the proximity to adjacent BLM land and their existing presence in the community will hopefully position the property for success in the years to come.

All Ahead

These types of projects—the ones where access is needed, in areas where an acre conserved opens up a multiplier effect, and where the landscape can support the changes—are what make a great onX Access and Stewardship story. We’re proud to contribute to WRC’s strategy of finding long-term land stewards. Take the chance to visit McDonald’s Ferry Ranch if you’re traveling through Oregon. Visit the local lodging options, try your hand at chukar hunting, or find yourself walking through the history of the Oregon Trail.

Learn more about onX’s ongoing access and stewardship initiatives.

The post Passing the Baton: Chronicling the McDonald’s Ferry Ranch appeared first on onX Maps.

onX, a pioneer in outdoor navigation and industry leader in recreation analysis, today released its annual access report, Private Land, Public Access. The report analyzes more than 40 voluntary public access programs–where willing private landowners open their properties to hunters–across 27 US states, revealing a combined 30 million acres of hunting opportunity.

In the continental United States, roughly 443 million acres of huntable public land fuel outdoor pursuits and provide wildlife habitat. But over the years, those lands have seen increased pressure from development and a pandemic-fueled boom in outdoor recreation participation. While it’s possible for states and federal entities to obtain new public lands, 60% of our country is privately owned. As a result, public land is feeling more crowded than ever and these private acres constitute land that hunters can’t afford to lose.

Every year, private landowners across the country voluntarily open up access to their land. Together, they provide an additional 30 million acres of hunting opportunity and wildlife habitat–an area equivalent to the size of Pennsylvania.

Private land acreage enrolled in public access programs varies by state, but their impact is significant. For example, in Kansas, home to one of the country’s oldest private access agreements, a program called Walk-In Access more than quadruples the state’s huntable land acreage. Nearly a quarter of Michigan’s total hunting acreage exists thanks to the state’s Commercial Forest Program. And in Utah, the Corporate Wildlife Management and Walk-In Access programs provide an extra 9 acres of hunting ground per licensed hunter.

These programs, according to private landowners and program managers, are threatened by hunter misbehavior and funding uncertainty. Hunter respect and consideration on these private lands is critical to keeping landowners enrolled and maintaining access into the future.

“onX conducted this analysis to understand how vital voluntary public access programs are to hunters,” said onX Hunt General Manager, Cliff Cancelosi. “Our report also explores what challenges face these 30 million acres, and topping the list is enrollment. Every year, landowners can choose to unenroll–and some opt out. While various reasons contribute to this churn, a leading cause is frustration over hunters who lack respect for their land or who don’t follow the rules. As a collective group, we must do better–there’s a lot of opportunity on the line.”

Additionally, these programs face unique funding challenges. Funding comes in part from Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPR-HIP), a provision of the Farm Bill, which is up for reauthorization every five years. General tax revenue allocated via the Farm Bill to keep these programs active averages out to less than a dollar per acre per year for the American taxpayer.

“While hunters pay into these programs through their license sales and other state initiatives, federal funding, earmarked by the Farm Bill, also helps keep these programs afloat,” explains Cancelosi. “For taxpayers, that averages out to pennies per acre per year, which just might be the best value in American conservation. But unlike other conservation programs, the Farm Bill is up for debate this fall–and its outcome is uncertain.”

Whether these programs provide hunters with more opportunity or an undeveloped habitat for wildlife, they require a delicate balance of participation, incentivization, and maintenance. To better understand these perspectives and read interviews from landowners and program managers, read the Private Land, Public Access report here: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/private-land-public-access

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt make up the company’s suite of apps, and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2017, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding, and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about

The post Public Access Programs Open 30M Acres of Private Land to Hunters Every Year appeared first on onX Maps.

What Is Rolfe Hill? 

Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) joined forces with neighboring organizations, including Sebago Clean Waters, to conserve the property for public access. We caught up with Loon Echo Land Trust’s Executive Director, Matt Markot, to learn more about the history of the parcel, why it’s important, and how the history of Maine’s multi-use ethos works in practice.

As urban sprawl spreads its tentacles westward to the quiet corners of Maine, this 400-acre lot has been sought after for development proposals such as a golf course and luxury housing, according to Markot. This outside interest, combined with its recreational and ecological value, made it compelling for LELT’s radar. The parcel dates back 200 years, all held within the family since the Revolutionary War. “They’ve been really great stewards of the property. It was once part of a much larger land holding that’s eroded over time. This is one of the last pieces that still remain,” states Markot. The family wants to see the property maintained in its current state and continue the legacy of public access. 

As with much of New England, it has evidence of farmland. Old stone walls line the ridges, though as Markot puts it, “This area is the rockiest place I’ve ever been, so I can’t imagine how difficult it was to farm there, but they were giving it a shot.” Old foundations from homesteads can be seen as well as an elusive trout or two in the small stream. It connects to a much larger lot owned by a local timber company, connecting it to over 1,000 acres of undeveloped habitat, all within 30 minutes of a city with a population approaching 70,000 people.

^{Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) joined forces with neighboring organizations, including Sebago Clean Waters, to conserve the 400-acre parcel of Rolfe Hill for public access.
Photo Credit: Mathew Trogner}

Recreational Access

LELT has big plans for the parcel.

“The goal is to advance recreational access—building, repairing, and restoring trails on the property. We’ll be working on habitat restoration through a wetland on the site that’s currently being impounded by a man-made structure,” says Markot.

There’s excitement about the multi-use possibilities in this parcel by both LELT and the broader community. 

See, in Maine, it’s traditional that a single parcel can serve many uses—from hunting and fishing to biking and ripping around on ATVs or sleds. Depending on the season, you’re likely to bump shoulders with a hiker wearing blaze orange or a GSP wearing a bell while on point waiting for the flush. Just as common, is having hundreds of miles of snowmobile and ATV trails weaving through private property across the state. No easements, no deeds, no leases required. “The (Rolfe) family have been great stewards and aligned themselves with the Maine ethos of public access to private land.”

That kumbaya image isn’t all organic though. It’s intentional and has been a guiding practice of LELT’s and other land management agencies for years. “We invite a variety of user groups (to the table) and create guidelines that are designed for a wide range of use while also limiting negative interactions and user conflicts.” Looking toward their objective of expanding recreational access, one of the challenges will be managing a growing mountain bike network contrasted with a pronounced hunting heritage. There are examples in other parts of the state where networks are known to close on Saturdays during November or simply placing signage that encourages users to avoid the dawn and dusk hours when hunters are most frequently in the woods. This is built on the belief that these user groups can, and should, coexist. They have been for a long time, and what it takes is a common understanding that this land is meant to be shared between various user groups.

Double-track trails (snowmobile and ATV) are often maintained by motorized clubs throughout the state. They groom and maintain their sections, which provide connectivity to the adjacent network creating a state-wide trail network maintained by grassroots organizations. This system is funded primarily through membership dues (from riders themselves) as well as state funding. This stewardship of the trails takes the burden off the managing land agency. 

In the case of Rolfe Hill, there’s an existing snowmobile and ATV trail that connects users to a larger system as well as the business district in downtown Casco. That local system is maintained by the Lakes Region ATV Club. Lonney Girard, the club’s president, states, “Our club is doing substantial erosion control and trail maintenance, annually. We’ve replaced or re-decked 16 bridges in the past 16 years.” The club has operated on an $11,000 spending budget, yet with in-kind donations from their membership have done about $200,000 worth of labor and excavation. It’s groups like these that act as diplomats between land managers and the recreation population keeping access alive.

^{Lakes Region ATV Club doing trail maintenance in their network.
Photo Credit: Lakes Region ATV Club}

Private Land, Public Access

This whole system is founded directly on Maine’s Landowner Liability Law, which is explained by the town of York, “If someone uses your land or passes through your premises for outdoor recreation or harvesting, you assume no responsibility and incur no liability for injuries to that person or that person’s property. You are protected whether or not you give permission to use the land.” This law has instilled good faith within landowners, primarily of large swaths such as timber company holdings, to allow recreational access of all kinds so that the general public can enjoy Maine’s treasured lands. 

Well, why is land conservation so important right now in Maine if everything that isn’t posted is good to go? According to Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife, roughly 94% of the forested part of state is privately held. That means that most recreation that happens—whatever your vehicle, discipline, sport, or pastime—is likely going to happen on private land. When the state was mostly farmers and population density was low, that made it simple to know the neighbors across the stone wall. Now, increasing real estate sales, with smaller acreages, are resulting in a state increasingly segmented and, as previously mentioned, posted. This illustrates the importance that land trusts preserve public access, and keep the tradition alive.

^{According to Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife, roughly 94% of the state is privately held.}

The Way Forward

While the neighborly, handshake deals for access were common in these parts for decades, the high turnover rate of property ownership here increases the importance of these types of projects. Creating and maintaining public access in Maine, and across the nation, will continue to grow in importance as urban sprawl develops. With this property, and those like it, onX is excited to help conserve such an integral part of both the habitat and recreational landscape. If you know of a parcel in need of protection or a land trust in need of financial assistance, please consider visiting our grant page to learn more about onX’s funding projects. These projects will help preserve, restore, and open access to parcels for generational enjoyment.  

The post Tradition Preserved, Lessons from a Multi-Use 400-Acre Parcel in Maine appeared first on onX Maps.

onX, a pioneer in outdoor navigation, will host a live virtual event on June 21, 2023 at 6 p.m. MDT called “A Hunter, a Backcountry Skier, and an Off-roader Walked Into a Bar.” While the “bar” is virtual, onX Ambassadors and Partners–including Skull Bound TV’s Jana Waller, MeatEater’s Randall Williams, big mountain skier Griffin Post, off-roader Jeremy Evans, and Tread Lightly’s Matt Caldwell–will metaphorically pull up their chairs to have a frank conversation on how members of different outdoor communities can rally together to protect public lands.

Last year, onX hosted an industry-first event called Shared Ground, inviting representatives across various outdoor activities to discuss land conservation and stewardship. This event was born out of the curiosity of what would happen if these diverse folks walked into a bar and discussed public land usage over a beer. On June 21, onX is bringing that conversation to a public audience–to discuss our outdoor differences (there will be many!) and find a common ground when it comes to enjoying and protecting public land access. 

Event attendees will learn inspiring ways to get involved, and hear how they can help mentor others in their own outdoor communities. Attendees will also have a chance to win a YETI traveling bar set-up valued at over $600, with additional YETI giveaways and a cash-back beverage rebate or chance to win more gear from Sierra Nevada.

The Live Virtual Event is part of onX’s ongoing efforts to inspire outdoor stewardship. According to its recently-released research report, Breaking Trails, outdoor enthusiasts recognize the importance of taking care of our shared outdoor spaces–but only one in five actually engage in stewardship acts on an ongoing basis. The outdoors is suffering from a “stewardship gap.” By rallying together we can help improve the collective outdoor experience.

Live attendance to the virtual event is limited. Attendees can register here: bit.ly/livewithonx

Virtual event participants had the following to say about stewardship:

“My commitment to conservation and stewardship is rooted in an understanding that the outdoor opportunities I’ve enjoyed throughout my life did not happen by accident. They were only made possible by a long tradition of dedicated individuals speaking up for smart policy, helping with hands-on service projects, mentoring newcomers, and in countless other ways strengthening our legacy of shared access to nature.” – Randall Williams, MeatEater senior editor

“Hunting and protecting public land are key components of conservation and wildlife management so that ALL end users can enjoy both.” – Jana Waller, Skull Bound TV host and executive producer

“When you’ve had so many formative experiences in the outdoors, it’s only natural to want to protect and share those spaces.” – Griffin Post, professional big mountain skier

“Living in Oregon has taught me the extreme value and need for protecting our broadline access to public lands for ALL user groups through stewardship activities.” – Jeremy Evans, Public Land Stewards of Bend

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt make up the company’s suite of apps, and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2017, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding, and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about 

The post onX to Host a Live Virtual Event with an Unlikely Coalition of Outdoor Enthusiasts appeared first on onX Maps.

Unparalleled participation in outdoor recreation is changing our collective outdoor experience, cites a new report released today by onX, a pioneer in outdoor navigation. The report, Breaking Trails, details the state of the outdoor experience as described by 2,200 recreationists across the U.S. and reveals a substantial gap between an increasing number of outdoor enthusiasts and the percentage of those who engage in stewardship–activities that help protect and restore the public lands that fuel their experiences. While 77% of outdoor recreationists head outside 12 or more times each year, only 19% engage in acts of stewardship in that same timeframe, the report shows. As a result, deteriorating outdoor experiences are on the rise.

“Participation in outdoor recreation is at an all-time high, and that’s a good thing,” said onX Senior Access and Stewardship Manager Becky Marcelliano. “We believe that everyone should have access to nature, and the mental and physical benefits it provides. But we also realize that increased recreation means additional pressure on our public lands. And while most of us see the importance of stewardship, only a handful of folks–less than one-in-five–are doing the lion’s share of the work.”

This “stewardship gap” is one of the primary themes highlighted in the Breaking Trails report, which details the results of a survey conducted in late 2022 by the team at onX in partnership with Southwick Associates, a recreation-focused research firm. Through the survey, the company aimed to better understand how increased participation in outdoor recreation has impacted the nation’s public lands and the experiences they provide.

Key findings from the report include:

• 96% of outdoor enthusiasts think it’s important to preserve and maintain public lands and the access to recreation that they provide.
• Nearly all (92%) rely on the nation’s 901 billion acres of public land for outdoor recreation.
• Nearly two-thirds note that overcrowding has negatively impacted their time in nature over the past five years, citing various challenges from packed trailheads and noise pollution to litter and decreased access. 
• 87% of outdoor enthusiasts report that they have given back to public lands in some way in the last decade.
• However, only 19% of outdoor enthusiasts surveyed say they commit to one of these primary stewardship activities on an annual basis: volunteering, donating, or advocating.

Digging further into the breakdown of those who are engaging in stewardship each year, the survey found the following trends:

• Younger generations are more likely to participate in stewardship activities than their older counterparts, with Gen Z being the most inclined.
• Exposure to nature early in life correlates to participating in stewardship activities as an adult.
• The more outdoor activities someone participates in, the more likely they are to give back.
• Those who identify as experts in at least one outdoor activity are two to three times more likely to engage in annual stewardship compared to those who describe themselves as beginners or intermediates across all their outdoor activities.

Read the Breaking Trails report for an in depth analysis of all the survey findings.

Promoting Growth in Stewardship

While the report reveals a disparity in stewardship, it also proposes a solution. According to Breaking Trails, one of the best ways to “close the gap” in stewardship–especially between experienced stewards and those just embarking on their outdoor journey–is through outdoor mentorship. 

“The goal is to encourage more outdoor adventurers to embrace stewardship as a personal responsibility,” said Marcelliano. “By mentoring other outdoor enthusiasts, we can inspire a cultural shift from being a ‘user’ and ‘visitor’ of the outdoors to becoming a ‘protector’ and ‘steward.’ That is where the real change happens.”

Beginning on June 8, onX is encouraging all adventurers to engage in stewardship through its Navigating Stewardship campaign. Outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds are encouraged to tune into onX channels to learn different stewardship practices–big and small, explore different stewardship communities, test their outdoor knowledge, join a social challenge, and hear from Griffin Post, Jeremy Evans, and Jana Waller during a live virtual event. These three onX ambassadors will talk about how they incorporate stewardship practices into their outdoor pursuits, from backcountry skiing and mountaineering to offroading and hunting. Stay tuned to onXmaps.com for more details.

In an ongoing effort to help steward public lands, onX also devotes a portion of its sales every year to secure and protect public access. Through its Access and Stewardship Grant Program, the company endeavors to help secure or improve public access to 150,000 acres, and to help restore, secure, or build 150 miles of trails. onX is currently accepting applications for its next round of grant funding, which is open through July 7, 2023.

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt make up the company’s suite of apps, and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2017, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding, and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about

The post The Outdoors Needs More Stewards, Finds New Report from onX appeared first on onX Maps.

When we founded our Access and Stewardship program, we began with one simple tenet—when people feel connected to the land, they are more likely to protect it. From that core belief grew a set of guiding principles that recognize the primacy of coalitions, the importance of compromise, and the conviction that preserving and expanding access to the land will always be a challenge worth taking on. Perhaps most importantly, we knew that flexibility would be vital in allowing us to lend a hand on projects large and small, on public and private land, and in remote wildernesses and in plain sight of population centers.  

With our land data expertise and the budget afforded to us by your continued support of our Hunt, Offroad, and Backcountry offerings, we knew that onX could serve as a coalition builder to address access challenges across the country. With that in mind, we established a goal to secure or improve access to 150,000 acres and restore, secure, or build 150 miles of trails by the end of 2023. Thanks to you and the support of our talented and tireless partners, we’re nearly there. Over the last several months, we’ve witnessed major milestones in three projects we’ve funded spanning Oregon’s high desert, Idaho’s Albion Mountains, and our home turf in Missoula, Montana. These projects may look rather different, but they all accomplish our objective of connecting people to the land in a deeper, richer way.

Creating One of Oregon’s Largest Conservation Areas

In some cases, access can be increased by acquiring large parcels of private land, often ranches headed toward the seemingly inevitable outcome of subdivision and development. In the high desert of Oregon, the historic Trout Creek Ranch, a property comprising more than 16,000 acres and holding numerous grazing permits, was recently offered for sale. To hear Brent Fenty of the Oregon Desert Land Trust tell it, preserving this land was vital in order to “establish one of the largest conservation areas in Oregon.” As is often the case, this project was about far more than the particular acreage in question.

“The Trout Creek Ranch provides climate-resilient habitat connectivity between more than one million acres of public land, including more than 334,000 acres of wilderness study areas, 170,166 acres of designated wilderness, and 572,896 acres of national wildlife refuges. The lands range to nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, span three watersheds, and encompass a number of habitat types including, but not limited to, aspen woodlands, grasslands, creeks, wet meadows, and sagebrush steppe.”

Brent and the Oregon Desert Land Trust came together with The Nature Conservancy and other organizations including onX to make the acquisition possible. They are partnering with local Tribes and the Upper Snake River Tribes Foundation to ensure the native history of the land is respected and to host tribal gatherings on the land. This new access provides opportunities for hunters and anglers, hikers and cyclists, and horseback riding and motorized access on existing roads. Trout Creek Ranch now provides connectivity between more than one million acres of wildlife habitat, and the ranch is working with partners to develop new grazing technology such as GPS collars that will reduce fencing and better manage cattle in fragile habitats. With wetland habitat and a large population of big game animals, Trout Creek Ranch serves as a model for balancing the needs of farming and ranching with the things wildlife needs to thrive.

A Small Parcel With Huge Implications in Idaho

In other cases, opportunities to acquire relatively small pieces of private land can provide the vital linkages between existing areas open to the public for recreation. This was the case in the Albion Mountains west of Almo, Idaho, where the 360-acre Sheridan Ranch sat between the City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park. Thanks to additional access and property, the often-crowded City of Rocks climbing area will now see more opportunities for dispersed recreation, lessening the impact on the land and providing more solitude and enjoyment for visitors. 

The Sheridan Ranch acquisition provides an illustrative example of how complex these projects can be. In this case, while The Conservation Fund led the initial purchase, that was only the first step. Preserving access relies on nonprofits like The Conservation Fund working hand in hand with the government agencies that will ultimately manage the land. Here, after the Sheridan Ranch was purchased, it was then acquired by The National Park Service and The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

As with Oregon’s Trout Creek Ranch, this new access provides opportunities for outdoor recreation of all types and while also protecting the land itself. The Conservation Fund’s Senior Vice President and Western Director Mark Elsbree says, “It’s the perfect example of conservation achieving both environmental and economic priorities.”

While onX was instrumental in providing funding for the Sheridan Ranch project, the list of additional partners is long. Federal funding was provided by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and project partners included The Conservation Fund, the National Park Service, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Access Fund, Oregon Community Foundation, Land Trust Alliance, Cross Charitable Foundation, and the Southern Idaho Climbing Coalition. As you might be picking up on, it takes a lot of hands to make a project like this work.

A Coalition Preserves Missoula’s Foothills

One final project to highlight takes us not to some far-flung wilderness area or large private ranch. In fact, this recent access win played out mere miles from our office in Missoula, Montana, on the slopes of Mount Dean Stone. This 4,200-acre complex on the outskirts of Missoula connects Pattee Canyon’s incredible recreation activities with the extensive wilderness of Miller Creek.

In rapidly growing mountain towns like Missoula, an ever-increasing demand for accessible recreational opportunities presents a challenge to local governments and nonprofits alike. In 2014, Five Valleys Land Trust saw the opportunity to work with the Barmeyer family to place their Pattee Canyon property into an easement. Since those early days, the project has only grown. 

Grant Kier, former Five Valleys Land Trust Executive Director, summed up the need for areas like Mount Dean Stone. 

“Fundamentally, this is conservation serving our community goals. The community wants more trails and more access to outdoor recreation out the door. The trails we currently have near town are a core part of our unique quality of life, but they are increasingly crowded and predominantly on the north side of town. Our community is anticipating massive growth in the decades ahead, and this is a chance for our open space infrastructure to keep pace with growth and maintain our quality of life and sense of place.” 

Five Valleys Land Trust leads the Mount Dean Stone Committee, a collaboration of more than 20 organizations and businesses including onX. At the heart of the efforts is the creation of the House of Sky Trail, which will unite trailheads for the first time and link more than 4,200 acres for recreation. In addition to bolstering accessible recreation opportunities for a rapidly growing city, the project will offer opportunities for volunteer engagement, protect vital wildlife habitat, install signage for tribal place names and seasonal elk closures, and build fences and new connecting sections of trail. In addition, the area will soon be home to Missoula’s first Community Forest, which, according to Five Valleys Land Trust Associate Director Ben Horan, will “encourage citizen and stakeholder engagement in the planning and stewardship of the landscape.”

Access Work Takes Everyone. You Can Help.

Our involvement in access and stewardship projects around the country continues to reinforce one simple lesson—there’s simply no such thing as a typical project. To make it work requires the collaboration of individuals and organizations that bring all the necessary skills to the table in service of a common goal. We are honored to play a part in creating and preserving access to wild places because we know it does far more than benefit our own interests. These places inspire a love of the outdoors in new generations and make our communities healthier, happier, and more prosperous. 

We encourage you to look for opportunities to help in the places you care about. Reach out to local land trusts and conservation organizations to learn about volunteer opportunities in your area. Learn more about the organizations mentioned above, and donate to organizations putting boots on the ground and doing the hard work. Finally, seek out recreation opportunities near where you live. Wilderness is often closer to home than you might realize, and you’ll be a better person for having spent time in it.

The post onX Access Wins: It Takes a Team. appeared first on onX Maps.

40X refers to Pheasants Forever’s ability to match every dollar donated towards projects in Minnesota by 40X thanks to Pheasants Forever chapters and partners in conservation. onX donated $25,000 to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, while Final Rise sold limited edition hats to raise an additional $25,000. Together, after the 40X matching, that translates to $2 million raised for access projects in Minnesota.

The 40X event saw more than 1,000 attendees from across the country come together to support onX Hunt and Pheasants Forever’s shared missions of permanently protecting critical habitat for upland wildlife as well as opening more land to public hunting. In addition to drinks, live music and giveaways, attendees were able to pin their favorite upland hunting state on a large U.S. map. Six hundred pins were placed in 40 states, and for each pin, onX Hunt donated $40 to Pheasants Forever. onX rounded up that $24,000 total to a $25,000 donation.

“It never ceases to amaze me how passionate uplanders are about the pursuit of wild birds in wild places,” said onX Wingshooting Manager Ben Brettigen. “We are incredibly thankful for the Pheasants and Quail Forever team as well as the chapters and members who put in the work creating access and habitat in those wild places. Bird hunters from all over the country came out to support and celebrate these habitat and access opportunities at the 40X event, and we’re proud to have helped forge relationships among hunters and raise funding for the Habitat Organization.”

The 40X initiative is part of onX Hunt’s commitment to protecting habitat and increasing access to public lands. In the past two years, onX has helped support over 1,000 acres of public access across Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa through Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area program. Across the U.S., onX aims to improve access to over 150,000 acres of public lands and build or restore 150 miles of trails by the end of 2023. The Minnesota access projects benefiting from this year’s 40X event will soon be identified.

“We’re so blessed to work with partners like onX who truly ‘get it’,” said Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Chris Kalis. “Not only does onX support our non-profit organization’s infrastructure through sponsorship support, but they take it a step further and contribute directly to our habitat and access mission. With grant partnerships we have in place, the 40X event is going to result in matching those contributions by a magnitude of forty times to help us do good things for our conservation mission. Thanks to onX and every uplander who contributed at the 40X event.”

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about.

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onX Hunt is excited to host its “40X” event at this year’s Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 17, 2023, from 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. Pheasants Forever is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, and as a longtime partner, onX Hunt is marking the milestone with a 40X party at the annual Pheasant Fest. This special event will raise funds and awareness for upland hunting land access and habitat.

40X refers to Pheasants Forever’s ability to match every dollar donated  towards projects in Minnesota by 40X thanks to Pheasants Forever chapters and partners in conservation, turning a $1 donation into $40. All the proceeds go towards onX Hunt and Pheasants Forever’s shared missions of permanently protecting critical habitat for upland wildlife as well as opening up more land to public hunting.

onX Hunt’s 40X celebration is taking place immediately following Pheasant Forever’s Upland Rally. Attendees can enjoy beverages courtesy of Leinenkugels, listen to live music from local band Dam Jammers, hang out with onX and Pheasants Forever ambassadors and staff, as well as place a pin on a U.S. map, marking where they are from or their favorite state to hunt upland birds. For each pin placed on the map, onX Hunt will donate $40 to Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, which will multiply each of those donations by 40X. That means each pin placed raises $1,600 for habitat and access.

40X event attendees will also have a chance to win over $25,000 worth of door prizes from onX Hunt partners such as Final Rise, Purina, First Lite, Federal Ammunition, Lucky Duck, SoundGear, Upland Gun Company and others.

The 40X event is part of onX’s commitment to protecting habitat and increasing access to public lands. In the past two years, onX has helped support over 1,000 acres of public access across  Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa through Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area program. Across the U.S., onX aims to improve access to over 150,000 acres of public lands and build or restore 150 miles of trails by the end of 2023.

To join in the fun, stop by the free 40X event on February 17 from 9 p.m.-12 a.m.at the Hyatt Regency Downtown’s Lakeshore Ballroom. To learn more about onX Hunt’s conservation and land access initiatives, check out onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives.

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Off-Roaders Aren’t Bad Apples

For years, trail cleanup efforts led by the motorized community have been serving outdoor users far beyond their type. Adventurers like hikers, snowshoers, and hunters also benefit from the sweat and gears of off-roader’s do-goodery. Motorized adventurers are all too familiar with being the easy targets to blame for trail destruction, but that narrative needs a shift. What’s often not realized is the power that this community has to offer. Their vehicles are able to get way deeper into our public lands and their knowhow of rigging and hauling unlocks the ability to carry out macro trash like old appliances, mattresses, dumped vehicles, and other random pieces of junk. How that drift boat landed 27 miles into the national forest with no lake around, we’ll never know, but it needs to be removed. The motorized community can do it – and they’re willing.

Sharing Values with Tread Lightly!

Our friends at Tread Lightly! have been leading stewardship projects and education since 1985. What was originally founded by the Forest Service as a campaign to address impacts from off-roaders, evolved into an established non-profit in 1990. Since then, Tread Lightly! has been a champion for responsible recreation, a way of adventure that we at onX also stand passionately in favor of. 

At onX, our DNA holds deep roots in access and stewardship work, including philanthropy, data reporting, and communications that serve to protect the outdoor experiences we all cherish. We also know that conserving the health of our trails takes a collaboration of strengths from businesses, government agencies, organizations, recreation groups, and individuals. We believe it’s our responsibility as a company to mobilize the strengths we have to support conservation of the places we wouldn’t want to live without. 

Therefore, partnering with Tread Lightly! is an easy decision for us to make. They’re the do-ers, with a tally of 100+ trail stewardship project completions in 2022 alone. 

The Project

onX helped fund the recent cleanup event on Silver Creek Road in Bullhead City, Arizona on November 19, 2022. In collaboration with the BLM Field Office of Kingman, Tread Lightly! identified this as a key project that had previously lacked funding and resources. Then, they got to work. 

Seven volunteers along with representatives from BLM and AZ Game and Fish gathered to clean up the area. Through rough weather, this small but mighty crew removed 4,220 pounds of trash from our public lands. They scoured five miles of extended road corridor and hauled out the usual array of disgusting treasures, like old tires, target shooting debris, household items, and furniture.

Organizing large scale cleanups can be a complex task. Our Cleanup Guide provides tips and guidelines, including anticipated costs for trash disposal, often the crux of the event. At onX, we know that funding cleanup infrastructure like dumpsters, as non-glorious as that may be, is often a critical green-light needed to run a cleanup. Sign us up!

“Despite an incredibly windy day, this great group of volunteers did an amazing amount of positive work for BLM and the off-road community,” said Matt Caldwell, Executive Director at Tread Lightly! “Giving back like this is key in keeping our public lands open to motorized recreation for years to come.” 

Map of Silver Creek Road

Inspiration from the onX Symposium

onX has an always-on Grant Program that funds land acquisitions, restoration projects, trail improvements, and more. Earlier in 2022, we added another annex to our access and stewardship program. In an effort to gather voices from all of the user groups we serve – hunters, off-roaders, and human powered explorers – we hosted our Shared Ground Symposium in Bozeman, Montana with the philosophy that together, we can create more positive impact for our public lands. The event assembled athletes, advocates, writers, and partners, all of whom trusted the opportunity to workshop the real access and stewardship issues of today’s recreational world, even though uncomfortable or polarizing at times. This unique event proved our hypothesis that we’re all more similar than different, regardless of our recreational style or sport. It made clear the importance of collaboration in advocacy and asked attendees to craft an action plan that called on personal strengths and a work-together mindset to achieve a goal. To ensure our active contribution long after the Symposium discussions ebbed into memory, onX offered a pot of money to bring these projects to life. 

In attendance was Tread Lightly!’s Matt Caldwell, who wisely offered us all reminders of the “good” the off-road community is giving back to our open spaces. The Silver Creek Road project was his chosen project coming out of the Symposium, knowing that he’d need support from many others to make it happen. Not only did he take a break from his own post of Executive Director for a day to join the cleanup, he brought together representatives from the Bullhead 4 Wheeler club, Arizona State Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, Arizona Game & Fish Department, City of Bullhead City, and Bureau of Land Management. Matt’s ability to identify problems and rally others in stewardship is breaking down barriers and changing the game. The positive impact that Tread Lightly! is doing is undeniable – and so is the shift in perception that off-roaders are the bad apples of the greater outdoor community.

As Matt said, “onX has been such a great partner for Tread Lightly!, and not just because of the support that they have provided to projects like Silver Creek Road. onX is challenging everyone that uses public lands for recreation to see how we can “do your part” to “protect the adventure”. That’s really what Tread Lightly! is all about. All of us seek the outdoor experience, we may just choose to adventure in different ways. The commonality is the public lands we all need today, tomorrow, next year and the next generation for it to continue. We have to conserve it.”

Celebrating Today and Tomorrow

Protecting the adventure is what we all seek. Together, we are able to positively impact our outdoor communities and the public lands we all enjoy, one project at a time. Next time you turn down dirt and throw it in 4H, give a nod to all of the people and organizations that have enabled that trail to exist as you know it. 

“Individuals who dedicate their personal time to ensure the health and protection of our public landscapes are not only critical- they are irreplaceable.”  -Carrie Wostal, Bureau of Land Management.

Want to get involved in your own Tread Lightly! project? Find upcoming activities, events, and grant opportunities at www.treadlightly.org. 

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As part of this ongoing work, onX instituted a grant program to aid organizations whose values align well with ours outlined above. The latest partnership to flourish within this program is with the Student Conservation Association (SCA). 

What is the SCA?

The SCA began as an idea by 24-year-old Elizabeth (Liz) Putnam at Vassar College. The paramount problem of the time, circa 1950’s, was that the national park system was under threat of being loved to death. Sound familiar? As it turns out, the issues we hear about today—backlog maintenance, understaffing, litter, social trails, and overcrowding—were just as pertinent then. The program, inspired by Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, developed by Putnam and collaborator Marty Hayne, set out to connect students, specifically, with energy, drive, and passion with opportunities in the conservation industry where the need was overflowing. In 1957, 53 students gathered in Olympic National Park for roughly three weeks to conduct their first-ever trial project. 

Pre-civil, women’s, and environmental rights movements, Putnam faced countless challenges as a woman trying to better an industry dominated by men. She would often sign letters E. Sanderson Cushman (maiden name) to invoke a sense of gender anonymity. However, that pioneering spirit she had, has carried through the organization’s 60-plus year history. 

They have been at the forefront of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) not just by being a women-led organization, but through a myriad of programmatic structures including working in urban settings rather than just remote national parks. This includes multicultural participants and, most recently, developing affinity crews. These are housed under a program that piqued our interest at onX. The program is known as Urban Green. Read on for more specifics about this program.

onX and Atlanta

As part of our grant to SCA, we funded four trips in three cities this year: San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. All of these were a part of SCA’s Urban Green program which aims to greenify large metropolitan areas, and is an offshoot of their history of working in remote national parks. It meets urban youth in their own environments and proves the climate movement can start within big cities and in communities. In Atlanta, the mission is to “Elevate the youth voice and engage the next generation of conservation leaders in building a more resilient nation with equitable access to green spaces.” 

The crux of what makes this program so special is that students are often paid for their work, as opposed to a volunteer model. The objective is job-readiness, so the participants leave with a set of marketable skills and a fulfillment that they have helped better their own community. Most of these students wouldn’t have the opportunity to take the time away from their families, had the financial compensation not been in place.

The People

This trip was special. It was the first time it was an all inclusive crew team. This means that there was a broad mix of identities participating as crew members. A dream of SCA Community Program Manager, Jonathan Johnson, the inclusive crew supports the mission of SCA through projects such as building gardens and fire pits at the Biggers House—an affordable housing option for aging LGBTQIA community members. They have also spent a few Saturdays working with the Wylde Center and the Aware Wildlife Center where they learned about environmental justice and wildlife rehabilitation. 

The crew of six, meets twice weekly—once virtually midweek to learn from presenters, facilitated conversations, and working groups to talk about topics ranging from urban gardens to food deserts. While Saturdays are reserved for hands-on work in their communities. The crew members are all in high school and have signed on to learn and activate change in their area in preparation for going on to a career in conservation. 

The Big Trip

The six crew members, two crew leaders, and Program Manager Jonathan Johnson departed Atlanta in a van and headed two and a half hours east to Elijah Clark State Park on Friday, November 4. The agenda for the overnight camping trip was filled with tutorials on outdoor skills, safety speeches, s’mores, ghost stories, fishing, and more. The mission is to get them comfortable outdoors on an overnight camping trip.

The students brought a range of experiences with them including folks who have never pitched a tent to boy scout level status. “The first thing they wanted to do was build a fire upon arrival,” reflects Johnson. Fran, originally from Panama, had been camping a couple times before and really stepped up to show leadership and teamwork as they aided the group in building the fire. They share, “I like helping and teaching people, and I’m glad I was able to help.” As the centerpiece of the trip, the fire played host to where the students would go on to share meals, stories, and growth. 

Mars, who had never been camping before, was largely excited and not at all nervous. She helped with the fire and shared, “It was a pure hands-on learning experience.” As a first-timer, “I like camping. This is fun, I’m going to do it again.” When asked how the experience was as a whole her answer was clear, “Go camping, it’s fun!”

Saturday held some surprises, mostly in the form of rain. The day’s activities held in store some breakfast, fishing, and free time. Not to dissuade anyone from the experience, the rain and fishing just happened to be Elijah’s, 18 from Decatur, Georgia, two favorite things, “The raindrops hit the water and you see them bounce back up. It’s just really soothing.”

Bria, from Lithonia, was hooking a worm to fish with when she reflected on the camping trip thus far, “I like camping, even though I smell like fire and burnt wood.” Meanwhile, another crew member, Erin, sheltered both of them from the rain with an umbrella. They went on to advise that if you’re going camping, make sure to pick the right friends, pack a pillow, and if you have braids—bring a bonnet. 

The Recap

Reflecting on the trip a few weeks later, Johnson talked a lot about two things; building community and self-governance. The crew, upon arriving at Elijah State Park, built something of a tent-city, which to Johnson, was both a physical and metaphorical community. You could see how friends were pitching their tents closer together while others, potentially who valued some solitude, were slightly further away. The decisions made in this exercise illuminated some personalities that arose throughout the weekend.

The second key takeaway from the weekend was how the group self-governed. Whereas some folks love music outdoors, whether in their earbuds or at a moderate volume from their speaker, this crew decided that the only audio stimulation would be the rain bouncing off the water, birds chirping, and the stories shared around the fire. Oh, and an alleged “wolf in the night” according to Johnson. 

While camping, things have to get done—that’s the bottomline. How and when those happen is where growth occurs. On this trip, leaders stepped up, other folks learned new skills, and everyone managed a clean, tidy exit of their site according to the practices of Leave No Trace. 

The physical camping trip was a glowing success, but it’s in the coming weeks where each of these students returns to their communities’ that the growth they experienced and skills they learned will truly be put to the test.

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