John Day Fossil Beds National Monument By: Gray Gorbatoff

History John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in east-central Oregon. Located in the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals that lived in the region between the late Eocene, about 45 million years ago, and the late Miocene, about 5 million years ago. Before the Euro-Americans came in the 19th century, the John Day basin was visited by Sahaptin people who hunted, fished, and gathered roots and berries in the region. After road-building made the valley easier to get to, settlers made farms, ranches, and a few small towns along the river and its tributaries. Paleontologists have been unearthing and studying the fossils in the region since 1864, when Thomas Condon, a missionary and amateur geologist, recognized their importance and made them known globally. Parts of the basin became a National Monument in The monument consists of three units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno. The units cover a total of 13,944 acres of semi-desert shrublands, riparian zones, and colorful badlands.

United States of America John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Units (in green) of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Painted Hills Unit

Sheep Rock Unit

Clarno Unit

Special Landforms and Features in the Park The Painted Hills Unit is known for its various colors of red, orange, black and tan found in the exposed volcanic layers. This area is also home to a wide range of leaf fossils from a temperate forest. The Clarno Unit features a cliff formed by a series ancient volcanic mudflows that now is high above the surrounding landscape. Glimpses of fossilized plants from millions of years ago can also be seen from the Trail of Fossils. The Sheep Rock Unit was named after Sheep Rock peak which towers 1,100 feet above John Day River valley. The exposed green claystone layers seen in this area continue to expose new vertebrate fossils from 30 million years ago through natural erosion.

Environmental Issues Affecting the Park Water Quality Upstream uses of the John Day River by communities and ranching operations are impacting the river flow levels and water quality in the park. Non-Native Species Settlement by non-native people has resulted in the introduction of non-native species of plants. These non-native species have grown rapidly in the park, displacing native vegetation.

Environmental Issues Affecting the Park Fire Suppression Prior to the 1900’s, the park experienced fires every 5 to 15 years. While this resulted in injury to wildlife and destroyed habitats, it also contributed to diverse animal and plant communities. Since the 1900’s, fire suppression has been the standard for the region, with only a limited number of fires affecting the park. One result of this fire suppression has been a large increase in the number of juniper trees found on the landscape, which has resulted in a large decrease in grasses and shrubs and the wildlife that use these types of habitats.

Bibliography [DRAFT]