I keep telling everyone I meet that I am from the desert, so I won’t have a problem working in eastern Oregon. “I am used to the dry air, the heat, and the sagebrush,” I tell them optimistically. Who am I trying to fool? After working for three years in a rain-forest ecosystem in the high Cascade mountain range, I really do miss the trees. I miss the smell and the sound of the water outside my back door. I miss the shade of the trees and the feeling of comfort and concealment it brings.  I miss the early morning dew and the low hanging fog that gives the wildlife just enough confidence to spend their mornings browsing in visible open areas. All of these things are only small realizations and memories of fun summers past. This summer and living in Lakeview, Oregon, have already begun to present new and exciting opportunities for adventure and field experience. There are not many places left in the world where you can open your eyes and look as far as you can see without spying a single building, human, or car passing by. There are not many places where the horizon meets the landscape without fault and then seem to melt together in a real-life version of a cowboy movie sunset. I cannot compare the feeling of endless open space to any forest setting. I have an idea to open up a treatment center for people who suffer from claustrophobia…..not really.

As a rangeland technician, I have been learning how to complete range trend assessments that mainly look at the species and abundance of vegetation in different pastures. These studies have been completed in Lakeview for nearly 50 years! I know this not only by looking at the dates, but also by checking out the hairdos in the pictures. Hello, Farrah Fawcett. As a part of the trend assessments, I am completing “Line and Intercept” transects that assess the amount of shrub cover in the area. Tall sage, rabbit brush, bitter brush, and greasewood are the main types of shrub cover that I have found so far. This information will be used to determine critical sage grouse habitat and nesting sites. I had heard about the sage grouse countless times throughout college, and yesterday, I finally saw two. They do exist! I have yet to see a grouse on the lek, but that is definitely on my bucket list. Another project I am working on involves completing “Pasture Utilization” studies. These studies are completed after a herd of cattle is removed from the pasture and looks at the overall use of the allotment. We have also been updating range allotment health assessments that determine how well or how poorly a pasture is being managed. All of these things are giving me a great, in-depth look at how the BLM range conservationists manage the 3.2 million acres of land within the Lakeview resource area.

I look forward to learning more and being able to appreciate this vast wilderness for all of the unique qualities it has. I just need to remember to wear my sunscreen!