Hello from the BLM in Prineville, Oregon! So far, I’ve worked about 3 weeks, and Oregon has been quite a new experience for me. I’m a born and raised Jersey girl, and most familiar with deciduous woodlands of the Northeast; transplanting to the high desert of central OR has been a great change of scenery. Everyone here has been extremely welcoming and friendly.  The view of the Cascade Mountains seems to never get old  (although a little unsettling being so close to “The Ring of Fire”… )

In between all the office training sessions, I have been getting a crash course in sagebrush habitat by going out with a greater sage grouse habitat assessment team.  Every time I get in the field, I become a little more familiar with the brand new plant and wildlife species.

I have also gone to monitor a seemingly inactive bald eagle nest on three occasions, situated on the side of a mountain. The nest was empty the first two visits, but on the third visit, two subadults gave me quite a show. They are approximately 4 years old and appeared to be exploring the area around the old nest as a potential new territory.

Subadult bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

In the near future, my main task will be to conduct wildlife clearances in areas overrun with Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). These areas need to be thinned out to create healthier sagebrush habitat for species that rely on sagebrush, such as the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) and greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).   I’m very excited for the months to come!

Planting trees with wonderful volunteers from the Oregon Hunters Association