The state of Oregon often calls to mind pine tree sprawl, the smell of wet grass and dirt, and the vibes of Portlandia. It’s the state where large protests lasted the longest after the murder of George Floyd and the state that recently passed Ballot Measure 110 decriminalizing low-quantity drug possession. In the national imagination, Oregon is a land of hacky sacks and Priuses, independent booksellers and psychedelic mushroom foragers, craft breweries and ethical nonmonogamy.

But this image of the state is lopsided. The eastern part of the state is not covered in pine; instead, a vast expanse of yellow sagebrush blankets the horizon, with pockets of farmland marking scarce water reserves. The political differences are as stark as the geographical ones: in 2020, Joe Biden won 57 percent of the Oregon electorate, but not a single county in the eastern half of the state. Topographically, politically, and culturally, Baker City and Ontario appear worlds away from Portland and Eugene.

Settled in this high desert landscape, a secessionist group called the Greater Idaho movement has gained notoriety, calling for Eastern Oregon counties to secede from Oregon and join Idaho. “The Oregon/Idaho line was established 163 years ago and is now outdated,” says the movement’s website. “It makes no sense in its current location because it doesn’t match the location of the cultural divide in Oregon.” At the time of writing, twelve counties have voted to continue intercounty communication to push for this new state border proposal.