The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs identified the Red Hills property as a Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program site in 2013. Red Hills was the Tribes’ first property acquired in 2014 through the program, which is administered by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and funded by Bonneville Power Administration. The Conservation Area encompasses 278.5 acres of native oak woodlands, oak savanna, upland prairie, and riparian forest and provides for a variety of fish and wildlife species. The Conservation Area is located in Yamhill County where the Tribes hunt, fish, gather forest products, and recreate.
The Property may be accessed by the public, but a daily access permit is required for day use. A kiosk and sign-in station is planned for the meadow access area off of Duniway road by late 2022. Hiking and sight-seeing will be the main activities for the property. As the management plan was finalized in 2020, hunting opportunities will be explored as a possible activity. See Conservation Regulations for additional information about access.
In 2022, the Tribes will be developing a small timber sale project to reduce Douglas-fir trees in order to increase Oregon White oak (Quercus garryana) savana and oak woodlands on the property. The sale will also provide funding for additional management activities including a visitor parking site, weed control efforts, and oak tree planting.
Visitors take care, as poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) is common on this property.