Welcome to the Summer 2018 newsletter. This one is a little large because we have so many good stories we've been wanting to share. Links below all direct you to the stories now found on the website. To learn more on the decision to create a digital only newsletter, click here.
Gary Fasnacht of Olympia, Washington was part of a group of FOHM member volunteers who visited Hart Mountain in March 2018 to assist in the annual Greater Sage-grouse lek count. Gary provided his reflection on the experience.
Each year the US Fish and Wildlife Service issues an annual report on the biological program activities on the Sheldon-Hart Mountain refuges. The report for Fiscal Year 2017 several categories, including Birds, Mammals, and Habitat and Climate.
Marie Morgane-Rouyer, now a Master’s student in Applied Ecology at the Université de Poitiers, spent the academic year 2016-17 at Oregon State University. She was part of a group of Bird Nerds who visited Hart Mountain in March 2017 to assist in the annual Greater Sage-grouse lek count. Subsequently, she wrote about her experience and her impressions of Hart Mountain.
Read about the critical infrastructure needed to help preserve the integrity of the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
New Refuge Map for Sale!
We are now proud to offer a brand new, updated, and improved map of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. It is a combination relief and topo map in full color. The map will be available for shipping by Sept. 1, 2018. Please visit our Pronghorn Store for ordering.
Hart Mountain Featured in Klamath Life
Friends of Hart Mountain will want to read Lee Juillerat’s piece “Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge: Taking Refuge on Higher Ground” in the July/August issue of Klamath Life, pages 8-12. Lee, for many years a journalist with the Klamath Falls Herald and News, is a lifetime member of the Friends of Hart Mountain NAR and a frequent visitor to the refuge.
Did You Know?
Wildlife Refuges are Economic Engines
An oft heard comment about wildlife refuges is that they lock up lands that are valuable for resource extraction, whether it be mining, logging or grazing. The implication is that local economies are harmed by refuges. What is often overlooked is the economic potential a refuge can bring to an area. But closer examination suggests otherwise:
–– Every dollar appropriated to Refuge System on average returns $4.85 to local communities;
–– Wildlife refuges generate around 35,000 jobs and $2.4 billion in annual economic output;
–– Studies have shown that property values are higher near wildlife refuges, parks and open space.
While there is variability among refuges, the studies suggest an economic potential for even isolated refuges that is underappreciated.
The Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge will sponsor a mule deer count for members between Wednesday, November 28, and Sunday, December 2, 2018 at Hart Mountain.
9/22/2018 – National Public Lands Day
1/26/2019 – Board Meeting.
Spring 2019 – Sage Grouse lek count. Date TBD.
2017 Biological Program Activities Report
New Refuge Map for Sale! 
