Community Forest Spotlight: East Moraine, Wallowa Lake
The East Moraine of Wallowa Lake is one of the most striking landscapes in northeast Oregon. Rising above the turquoise waters of Wallowa Lake, the moraine is a glacially carved ridge of grassland and open forest that supports elk herds, native pollinators, and a network of trails cherished by local residents and visitors alike. For years, the moraine faced the prospect of subdivision and development that would have fragmented this landscape forever.
Thanks to a coalition of local landowners, the Wallowa Land Trust, and partners including Sustainable Northwest, the East Moraine was permanently protected as a community forest in 2024. The effort brought together ranchers concerned about losing grazing access, hunters who valued the elk habitat, and families who had hiked the moraine for generations. It is a powerful example of how conservation can succeed when it starts with community values rather than top-down mandates.
Today the East Moraine Community Forest is managed through a collaborative stewardship plan that balances ecological health with compatible uses like grazing and recreation. Prescribed fire and strategic thinning are restoring the open ponderosa pine stands that once defined the moraine, reducing wildfire risk while improving habitat for species like the Lewis’s woodpecker and western bluebird.
Sustainable Northwest has supported the project through technical assistance on forest management planning and by connecting local partners with federal and state funding sources. The East Moraine demonstrates what community forests do best: they keep working landscapes working while ensuring that the public benefits of clean water, wildlife habitat, and outdoor access endure for future generations.
Wallowa County is a place where natural resource economies and conservation have long been in tension. The East Moraine offers a different story, one where neighbors came together to protect something they all valued. That is the promise of community forestry in the Pacific Northwest.