Wasco Oaks – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Area extends from the Columbia River up through the Mt. Hood National Forest and has served as an important emphasis for conservation and restoration efforts.

COA ID: 125

Recommended Conservation Actions

Control noxious weeds and conifer encroachment
Limit habitat degredation and impacts to wintering ungulates from recreational development and activities such as OHV use and trail densities.
Limit impacts to Oak Woodland habitat. Maintain and restore existing Oak Woodlands.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

American Fisheries Society Aquatic Diversity Areas

Potential Partners

Columbia Land Trust
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
US Forest Service

Special Features

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CP-01 (The Dalles area)
2006 COA ID CP-02 (White River area)
2006 COA ID EC-02 (Wasco Oaks)

Protected Areas

Badger Creek Wilderness
City of The Dalles Watershed
Columbia River Gorge
County Open Space
Fifteen Mile Creek
Forest
Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
Koberg Beach State Recreation Site
Mayer State Park
Memaloose State Park
Mill Creek Research Natural Area
Mount Hood National Forest
Tom McCall at Rowena

Ecoregions

Columbia Plateau

The Columbia Plateau ecoregion was shaped by cataclysmic floods and large deposits of wind-borne silt and sand earlier in its geological history. It is dominated by a rolling landscape of arid lowlands dissected by several important rivers, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Cascades Mountains, south and east from the Columbia River to the Blue Mountains.

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

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.

Strategy 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.

Oak Woodlands

Oak woodlands are characterized by an open canopy dominated by Oregon white oak.

Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

Ponderosa pine woodlands are dominated by ponderosa pine, but 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. Their understories are variable combinations of shrubs, herbaceous plants, and grasses.