Zumwalt Prairie

Zumwalt Prairie
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Zumwalt Prairie landscape
Location	Wallowa County, Oregon, U.S.A.
Nearest city	Enterprise, Oregon
Coordinates	45°32′N 117°05′W / 45.54°N 117.09°W / 45.54; -117.09Coordinates: 45°32′N 117°05′W / 45.54°N 117.09°W / 45.54; -117.09
Area	330,000 acres (130,000 ha)

Zumwalt Prairie is a grassland area located in Wallowa County in northeast Oregon, United States. Measuring 330,000 acres (130,000 ha), much of the land is used for agriculture, with some portions protected as the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy. Part of that portion is designated as a National Natural Landmark. The high altitude prairie is along the west edge of Hells Canyon on the Oregon-Idaho border.

The Zumwalt Prairie grassland is situated on a basalt plateau which varies in elevation from 3,500 to 5,500 feet (1,100 to 1,700 m) and is dominated by several native bunchgrasses, including Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis), Bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), Sandberg's Bluegrass (Poa secunda) and many species of wildflowers. The Zumwalt Prairie is a piece of a once extensive temperate grassland system west of the Rocky Mountains which extended into Canada. The Zumwalt Prairie grassland system remains largely intact unlike most other prairies in North America. This fact can be attributed to its high elevation, harsh climate, and poor soils which made agriculture difficult. Because most of the Zumwalt Prairie escaped the plow, much of the important habitat remains for the plants and animals.

Zumwalt Prairie is home to a diverse array of raptor species and includes the grassland-dependent ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis), swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni), rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus), and the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are a common site soaring high above the prairie. The Zumwalt also supports important breeding populations of grassland songbirds, including Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) and grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum). Grassland birds are highly threatened and many need large areas to maintain viable populations. The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse, which had been extirpated from the Prairie by 1947 is being reintroduced in an effort spearheaded by Oregon Department of fish and wildlife.