Oregon Stakeholders Are Pinning Hopes that the Biden Administration Will Save the Owyhee Canyonlands
In the final weeks of the Biden Administration, speculation is rife that the outgoing U.S. President will enact a proclamation to safeguard the Owyhee Canyonlands in Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada, from intrusion by mining, solar, and wind farm developments.
Natural Habitat of the Endangered Greater Sage Grouse
The millions of acres of sagebrush desert and river gorges are the natural habitat of the endangered greater sage grouse and hundreds of animal and plant species. The area also provides natural grazing for livestock from surrounding ranches.
Trumps Vows to Cut Environmental Regulations
There is an added sense of urgency to the drive to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands following the announcement by President-elect Donald Trump that he will implement widespread cuts to environmental regulations.
One of the biggest advocates for the protection of the canyonlands has been Oregon Democrat Senator Ron Wyden. He has been in discussion since 2019 with conservationists, local Malheur County leaders, ranchers, and hunters, to pass a bill to safeguard the area from industrial intrusion.
Wyden has now been joined by Republican Senator Cliff Bentz, who too has tabled a bill emphasizing the rights of ranchers to graze livestock on public land.
Some Hope that the Area Will be Declared a National Monument
One of the hopes is that President Biden will declare the Owyhee Canyonlands a national monument. He has created six national monuments since taking office, protecting more than 41 million acres of water and land.
However, Biden has not indicated if he will impose legislation to safeguard the millions of acres while the Democrats are in office.
If the Owyhee Canyonlands were declared a national monument, it would limit mining and grazing.
Wyden and Bentz are both opposed to a national monument designation. They would prefer a wilderness compromise between the people of Malheur County and ranchers. Their hope is endorsed by environmentalists, as a wilderness designation offers greater protection from industrial intrusion while allowing grazing.
A congressional wilderness designation could prohibit mechanized and motorized equipment, and commercial activity, apart from livestock grazing. The designation is considered the highest level of protection that can be bestowed on federal lands.
BLM Tasked with Safeguarding the Wilderness Characteristics
The vast Owyhee Canyonlands stretch across 1.7 million acres in Oregon where the Bureau of Land Management has been tasked to safeguard the ‘wilderness characteristics’ of the region. You can read about the Timber Gulch cliffs in the Leslie Gulch area of critical environmental concern
Both the Wyden and Bentz proposals favor livestock grazing and would create a stakeholders’ advisory group consisting of conservationists, members of the local Burns Paiute Tribe, and ranchers.
In the meantime, Trump’s January 20 inauguration creeps ever closer, with time running out for Biden or federal lawmakers to adopt measures to protect the vast Owyhee Canyonlands.