Oregon Owyhee Canyonlands Receives Federal Protection After Years of Negotiations and Failed Attempts

After five years of negotiations and three failed attempts, the U.S. Senate has finally received unanimous approval for federal protection of Southeast Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands.

The victory on Friday night was announced by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden who together with state Rep. Cliff Bentz has been working to protect nearly one million acres of the Owyhee Canyonlands.

Senator Wyden: The Protection is a Historic and Huge Victory

The legislation approved by the Senate includes grazing reforms for Owyhee ranchers that Wyden describes as a ‘historic and huge victory’ not only for the ranchers but also for conservationists, Tribal leaders, and lovers of the outdoors.

Wyden and Bentz have been pushing Congress to take action to protect the area rather than having it declared a national monument.

The Owyhee Canyonlands stretch along the 280-mile Owyhee River in far eastern Oregon and consist of stunning rock formations and dramatic lava flows and cliffs. Used for grazing by cattle ranchers, the high desert area is remote and sparsely populated.

The fight to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands was supported by Governor Tina Kotek who threw her weight behind Wyden in August when she wrote to President Joe Biden asking him to declare the area a national monument if Congress failed to protect it under the National Wilderness Preservation System and the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Sen. Wyden described the Owyhee Canyonlands as ‘one of America’s most spectacular landscapes’ often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Oregon.