Steens Mountain Wilderness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Steens Mountain Wilderness | |
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| IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area) | |
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| Location | Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city | Frenchglen, Oregon |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 170,025 acres (688.1 km²) |
| Established | October 30, 2000 |
| Governing body | Bureau of Land Management |
Steens Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area surrounding a portion of Steens Mountain of southeastern Oregon, U.S. The Wilderness is a portion of the Bureau of Land Management's Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA), and encompasses 170,025 acres (266 mi², 689 km²) of the CMPA's total 428,156 acres (669 mi², 1734 km²).[1] It is Oregon's newest wilderness, designated October 30, 2000. 98,859 acres of the Wilderness (155 mi², 400 km²) are protected from grazing and free of cattle.[2]
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[edit] Topography
Steens Mountain Wilderness ranges in elevation from 4,200 feet (1,280 m) to 9,773 feet (2,979 m) at the summit of Steens Mountain. The Wilderness comprises a variety of vegetative zones, from the Arid Sagebrush Zone in the Alvord Desert, through the Western Juniper, Mountain Mahogany, Mountain Big Sagebrush, Quaking Aspen, Subalpine Meadow, and Subalpine Grassland Zones, to the Snow Cover Zone.[3]
Steens Mountain is the largest fault block mountain in North America. Pressure under the earth's surface thrust the block upward approximately 20 million years ago, resulting in a steep eastern face with a more gentle slope on the western side of the mountain. During the Ice Age, glaciers carved several deep gorges into the peak and created depressions where Lily, Fish, and Wildhorse Lakes now stand.[3]
[edit] Vegetation
Vegetation in Steens Mountain Wilderness varies greatly according to elevation. Common plants include sagebrush, juniper, various species of bunchgrass, mountain mahogany, aspen, mountain meadow knotweed, and false hellebore.[3]
[edit] Wildlife
Steens Mountain is home to a variety of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, and the threatened redband trout. Cattle can be found in the Wilderness as well, though they are excluded from grazing 98,859 acres (400 km²) on top of Steens Mountain.[1][3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Steens Mountain - Bureau of Land Management
- ^ Steens Mountain Wilderness - Wilderness.net
- ^ a b c d Steens Mountain Wilderness, Oregon - GORP
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Stumbling at Steens Mountain by TinaMarie Ekker, Wilderness Watch
- Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 - Library of Congress
- Steens Mountain - Oregon Natural Desert Association
- Steens Mountain Wilderness photos - Wilderness.net
- Steens Mountain Wilderness, Oregon - GORP
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