"We cannot go on forever selling beauty and recreation and at the same time killing it." - Mardy Murie
Programs - Red Desert - Jack Morrow Hills
WOC's goal for the Red Desert's Jack Morrow Hills is
to preserve the area from further oil and gas development and to
achieve legislative protection for its special values. The BLM's final plan for the Jack Morrow Hills
Study Area was released in July of 2004. Thanks to the record number of
comments submitted by citizens to the BLM- over 69,000 in all- of which
over 99% were in favor of the conservation-oriented Citizens' Wildlife
and Wildlands Alternative, BLM has partially improved its management
plan for this stunning part of the Red Desert. For instance, greater
protections are being offered for some Native American holy sites, and
some mineral leasing is being phased out in some sensitive areas.
Additionally, the BLM acknowledges time and time again, the value of
this landscape throughout the planning document. Unfortunately the
agency has still initiated a plan that could set in motion the
large-scale industrialization of one of the last wild corners of this
spectacular landscape with increased oil, gas and coalbed methane
development.
The 620,000 acre Jack Morrow Hills study area of the Red Desert contains seven
wilderness study areas—Buffalo Hump, Sand Dunes, Alkali Draw, South Pinnacles,
Honeycomb Buttes, Oregon Buttes and Whitehorse Creek; Areas of Critical Environmental
Concern such as Steamboat Mountain and the Greater Sand Dunes Area, both of which
are proposed National Natural Landmarks; a portion of the South Pass Historic
Landscape; a majestic desert elk herd, as well as an estimated 45,000 pronghorn antelope;
several nationally-important historic trails including the Oregon Trail; sensitive
plant species; and Native American spiritual sites and rock art sites. To see
a photo map of some of these areas of concern, click here.
With
these important individual treasures, the Red Desert forms "the Wild Heart of
the West," a lasting remnant of the Big Wide Open that was once the West.
To learn more about the Jack Morrow Hills,
view
the report Resources of the Red Desert and Jack
Morrow Hills (1.8MB
pdf) or see
our Red Desert Brochure (2.0MB pdf). Additionally,
the comprehensive Jack Morrow Hills Special Values (39MB pdf) report includes detailed maps depicting the special historical, biological, cultural, mineral, wildlife, wilderness and other values of the Jack Morrow Hills portion of the Red Desert (available at Friends of the Red Desert website). Finally, we offer a Wilderness
Fact Sheet (52KB pdf) for Jack Morrow Hills
wilderness study areas, or visit our Resources page for additional materials
concerning the entire Red Desert.
Programs - Red Desert - Jack Morrow Hills
With
these important individual treasures, the Red Desert forms "the Wild Heart of
the West," a lasting remnant of the Big Wide Open that was once the West. 
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