BLM Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary in Oregon

As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Bureau of Land Management is celebrating in Oregon by connecting communities with public lands that help tell the nation’s story.

From Oregon Trail history in Baker City to volunteer stewardship at Wood River Wetland, BLM Oregon/Washington hosted two June events that highlighted how BLM staff preserve history, support communities today, and inspire people to care for these places for future generations.

The events also recognized the BLM’s 80th anniversary of public land stewardship, celebrating eight decades of public land stewardship.

Oregon Trail Days brings history to life

History filled Geiser-Pollman Park on June 13 as the community and visitors gathered for Oregon Trail Days.

Hosted by the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in partnership with Friends of NHOTIC and community organizations, the free event featured wagon displays, historical interpreters, storytelling, live music, crafts, games and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages.

Families explored the sights and stories of one of America’s most significant migration routes while learning how public lands preserve the landscapes and experiences tied to westward expansion. Throughout the day, visitors had opportunities to better understand the challenges and perseverance that defined the Oregon Trail experience.

“Events like Oregon Trail Days allow us to honor why people came to the West,” BLM Oregon/Washington State Director Kim Prill said. “They were looking for opportunity, and public lands continue to provide opportunities today through recreation, grazing, mining, conservation, and countless ways people connect with these landscapes.

She said one of her favorite parts of the event was seeing families connect with Baker City’s history and the stories of the West.

“Baker City is an amazing community with deep roots and a rich history,” Prill said. “It was wonderful to see people bringing their children to learn about the stories of the West, the importance of public lands, and the value of connecting with our communities and with each other.”

Oregon Trail Days builds on the interpretive work happening at NHOTIC, where exhibits and educational programs help visitors understand the experiences of those who traveled west.

BLM employees and partners created a community celebration that connected hundreds of visitors wit America’s past.

Volunteers give back at Wood River Wetland

The Freedom 250 celebration continued at Wood River Wetland, where volunteers honored America’s public lands the best way they knew how—by caring for them.

On June 20, 12 volunteers joined BLM employees for the annual pollinator habitat restoration project. Participants included members of Boy Scout Troop 9008, the Klamath Chapter of the Native Plant Society and other community volunteers.

For the sixth consecutive year, volunteers removed invasive weeds and maintained native vegetation near the wetland’s entrance. Their work supports butterflies, native bees, monarch butterflies and other wildlife while improving the area for visitors.

“What started as a small restoration effort has become a great example of what can be accomplished when agency staff and community volunteers work together,” said Kerry Johnston, a botanist with the BLM Klamath Falls Field Office. “The habitat continues to improve each year, and volunteers have played an important role in its success.”

The restoration effort began with site preparation in 2019, followed by native plantings in 2020 and 2021 and the addition of new planting areas in 2022. Since then, volunteers have returned annually to control weeds and help native plants thrive.

Today, the restored area includes a variety of native flowering plants, including showy milkweed, fireweed, buckwheat, penstemon and golden currant. Volunteers who have participated over several years have watched the site grow from a mostly bare, weedy landscape into functioning pollinator habitat.

Located northwest of Chiloquin, the 3,200-acre Wood River Wetland is part of the historic Wood River Delta. Since acquiring the property in 1994, the BLM has worked to restore wetland functions, improve wildlife habitat and provide opportunities for public recreation and environmental education.

Public lands connect past and present

Together, Oregon Trail Days and the Wood River Wetland volunteer event tell a bigger story about America’s public lands during such a milestone year.

At Oregon Trail Days, visitors reflected on our history and learned how public lands preserve those stories today. At Wood River Wetland, volunteers helped care for an area that provides habitat for wildlife.

Both events showed that public lands remain places where people gather, learn, explore, and serve their communities.

BLM Oregon/Washington’s Freedom 250 celebrations will continue later this year with the Victorian Holiday Celebration at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. The event will connect visitors with Oregon’s coastal and maritime history through music, crafts, storytelling, and family activities.

As America commemorates its 250th anniversary and the BLM celebrates 80 years of stewardship, these events offer a chance to look back at the stories that shaped the country while recognizing the work happening today to care for public lands for future generations.