The following is a joint news release from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Forestry.
Oregon may soon have a new wildlife area in Union County called the Qapqápa Wildlife Area (pronounced cop-COP-a). The property would be owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and co-managed with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), continuing a decades-long partnership.
Qapqápa, which means “place among the big cottonwoods,” would protect 11,438 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat, restore Tribal access to traditional lands and support local communities through forestry and recreation.
Earlier this month, the Qapqápa Wildlife Area Forest Legacy Project was awarded $22 million from the USDA Forest Legacy Program’s State-Tribal Partnership, which is part of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), to acquire and establish a wildlife area. The State-Tribal Partnership Program funds the conservation of lands that will be owned by a state or federal agency and co-managed with a Tribal nation.
The Qapqápa Wildlife Area project is being made possible thanks to the strong partnership between CTUIR, ODFW, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF). The project ranked first nationwide to receive funding this year. CTUIR, ODFW, RMEF and the Harry A. Merlo Foundation are working to complete the acquisition in 2026.
The Harry A. Merlo Foundation, the current property owners, first reached out to RMEF about selling the land. Harry Merlo, a lifetime member of RMEF, stewarded the land for decades using grazing and timber management to sustain critical habitat for elk and other wildlife. The Merlo Foundation’s priority is ensuring the property remains protected as working lands that support fish and wildlife. Through partnership with CTUIR, ODFW and RMEF, the new wildlife area would continue Harry Merlo’s legacy of conservation.
ODFW and CTUIR will manage the land for both fish and wildlife conservation and Tribal First Foods—water, salmon, deer, elk, roots and berries—while providing public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. For CTUIR, the property restores access to lands within the territory that the Tribes were required to cede in the Treaty of 1855, reconnecting Tribal members to historical fishing, hunting and gathering sites.
“The project would not have been possible without the diverse group of stakeholders that recognized the great value of our shared public lands and came together in support of the Qapqápa Wildlife Area.” said Anton Chiono, habitat conservation project manager, CTUIR Department of Natural Resources. “In a first-ever for the State of Oregon, the Tribes and ODFW will co-manage the new wildlife area for the benefit of all. This is a terrific example of what Oregonians can accomplish by working together.”
Located about 10 miles southwest of La Grande in the Blue Mountains, Qapqápa Wildlife Area links two portions of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, creating a vital corridor for migrating elk and mule deer, threatened salmon and steelhead, and dozens of species of conservation need such as woodpeckers, owls, bats and amphibians.
“ODFW is grateful for the funding to support this important acquisition. Qapqápa’s conservation values cannot be overstated, providing important habitat for imperiled fish populations, big game winter range and many other species of conservation concern,” said ODFW Director Debbie Colbert. “ODFW and the Tribes will collaboratively manage the wildlife area, maintaining a working lands approach that benefits habitat, improves wildlife connectivity, and provides access to both the public and Tribal members to hunt, fish and view wildlife.”
The property includes 5.6 miles of the Grande Ronde River and 6 miles of Beaver Creek, key spawning and rearing habitat for threatened spring Chinook salmon, summer steelhead and bull trout. Planned restoration projects will reconnect streams with their floodplains, improve water storage and provide cooler flows critical to native fish facing hotter, drier conditions.
With more than 75 percent of the land base forested, active forest management will continue under the direction of CTUIR and ODFW. Capitalizing on the previous landowner’s vision and active forest management principles, fish and wildlife habitat will continue to be enhanced, while reducing wildfire risk, revitalizing habitat for First Foods and supporting local timber jobs.
“This project shows how working forests can provide both economic and ecological benefits,” said ODF’s Forest Resources Deputy Chief of All-Lands Restoration and Assistance Unit Mike Kroon.
Beyond fish, wildlife and cultural values, the new wildlife area will also support local recreation economies.
“The commitment of LWCF Forest Legacy funding is a vital step toward completion of this conservation project that will conserve big game wildlife habitat, while also providing continued active forest management and public access for hunters, anglers and others,” said RMEF President and CEO Kyle Weaver. “We salute the Harry A. Merlo Foundation for sustaining years of habitat and forest stewardship on the property and look forward to collaborating with partners to establish the new wildlife area.”
The proposed acquisition would prevent subdivision or private sale of the land, which could have fragmented habitat, restricted access and threatened fish and wildlife. Instead, it would become one of Oregon’s most significant new public lands in decades.