Farmers selling livestock because of drought
Grant County’s drought condition is extreme drought, with the county requesting a drought State of Emergency to receive emergency resources (Oregon Drought Conditions Map (2023, February 14)); (Court requests Governor declare drought State of Emergency. (2023, February 16)). It is predicted that drought will lower snow packs in the Blue Mountains by the 21st century’s end (Future Climate Projections Grant County. (2020, February)). Drought is affecting spring snowpack and summer runoff, resulting from climate change (Future Climate Projections Grant County. (2020, February)). Drought especially affects agriculture, with many crops dying due to the lack of water. As a result, farmers were inclined to sell their livestock to spend less money on animal feed (Drought prompts continued dread. (2022, April 23)). 

A month-long wildfire
Grant County has experienced two major wildfire events between 2015 and 2019. The Canyon Creek Complex fire in 2015 resulted from two merged fires from Berry Creek and Mason Springs after a lightning strike (Multi-Jurisdiction Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. (2020)). The fire lasted for over a month and destroyed 43 homes and 110,000 acres of the Malheur National Forest (Grant County Sheriff arrests US Forest Service employee after prescribed burn jumps to private property. (2022, October 20)); (All is Not Lost Yet: Saving Oregon’s Forests from Another Wildfire Disaster. (2020, December 10)). The most recent wildfire was in Beech Creek, a 248-acre wildfire that affected part of the Malheur National Forest (New wildfire burns nearly 250 acres north of John Day on Malheur National Forest, 15% contained. (2022, August 3)); (Beech Creek Fire. (2022)). In the past, only 20 large-scale fires exceeding 1000 acres were observed between 1986 to 2015, most of which were caused by lightning strikes (Multi-Jurisdiction Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. (2020)). Recently, that number has been increasing, as firefighters get three calls per year in regards to fire (Under fire: Grant County's fire departments struggle to attract volunteers. (2023, February 15)). Firefighters are losing manpower as a major portion of the population in Grant County is elderly (Under fire: Grant County's fire departments struggle to attract volunteers. (2023, February 15)). In addition, they are struggling to gain more volunteers that help aid the workers in fighting fires (Under fire: Grant County's fire departments struggle to attract volunteers. (2023, February 15))). 

Environmental impacts of Rainbow Gatherings
Rainbow gatherings are a counter-culture festival for people to meet in different National parks throughout the U.S. and live as a community for about two weeks (Rainbow Gathering- Wikipedia. (2022)). The tradition began in 1972, with the annual meetup in 2017 set to occur in Malheur National Forest, with 13,120 people attending the event that lasted from July 1 to July 7 (U.S. court set up in Eastern Oregon to handle Rainbow gathering. (2017, June 27)); (Oregon Rainbow Gathering: Bliss For Campers, Headache For Forest Service. (2017, July 6)). The U.S. government wanted to mitigate the number of people attending, with the Forest Service being concerned as it could lead to the trampling of sensitive habitats that protect water quality of nearby streams, which the Forest Service attempts to mark before or as the event is being set up (U.S. court set up in Eastern Oregon to handle Rainbow gathering. (2017, June 27)); (Oregon Rainbow Gathering: Bliss For Campers, Headache For Forest Service. (2017, July 6)). A permit is required for people to bring group gatherings to Malheur. However, the Forest Service was unable to physically stop the gathering, instead issuing violation notices and arrests (2017 Rainbow Festival Draws 12,000 Gatherers, Sees 2 Deaths. (2017, July 4)).

Two floods
Floods are the most destructive natural disasters in Oregon, with many occurring during winter (Multi-Jurisdiction Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. (2020)). Grant Union High School was observed to undergo two flood events, a major one in 2010 and a smaller event the year later (Rain, melting snow lead to flooding in Eastern Oregon. (2011, May 17)); (Multi-Jurisdiction Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. (2020)). In early 2022, a flood was observed near Monument in Northwest Grant County (Sheriff says the John Day River is on the rise near Monument. (2022, March 2)). Heavy rain and snow melt are the likely cause for most floods in Grant County (Multi-Jurisdiction Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. (2020)).

Road impacts on water bodies
The Malheur National Forest has a relatively large road density of 3.56 miles per square mile, which is threatening nearby water bodies and the organisms within them (Roads are a Widespread Threat to Streams, Water Quality, and Wildlife on National Forests)); (Upper Malheur Watershed Bull Trout Conservation Strategy. (2023)). These trails go through old-growth forests, which the Forest Service cut down for timber sales, stating it was necessary to restore old-growth forests (Old Growth Logging in the Malheur National Forest. (2022, February 16)). The roads needed to do the logging all contribute to sedimentation, weaken soils, and degrade vegetation that protects water quality (Old Growth Logging in the Malheur National Forest. (2022, February 16)).

Riparian invasive plants
With human activity in natural areas comes the spread of invasive species that cause harm to streamside vegetation (Malheur National Forest to Begin Invasive Plant Treatments. (2019, May 15)); (Noxious Weed Treatment to Begin on Oregon Forest. (2020, May 1)). The Malheur National Forest is invaded by many invasive plant species, which the Forest Service and other organizations are hoping to eradicate with the use of herbicide in select locations where the invasive species occur (Malheur National Forest to Begin Invasive Plant Treatments. (2019, May 15)); (Malheur National Forest Site Specific Invasive Plants Treatment Project)). The major treatment project was planned from spring through fall, applying a blue marker in places where herbicide was applied (Malheur National Forest to Begin Invasive Plant Treatments. (2019, May 15)).