Protections for Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands remain pending

ADRIAN, Ore. – The Owyhee Canyonlands is a vast, rugged and unique landscape on the eastern edge of Oregon. It’s an area where there are more cows than people, and it takes some effort to get to some of the area’s gems.

There are protections for this area in bills moving through the Legislature, but a group called Protect the Owyhee is calling on the Biden administration to designate this area a national monument before he leaves office.

“The history of this landscape is rich, the cultural aspects of this landscape are rich and it is one of the most remote places in the lower 48,” said Tim Davis, the founder of Friends of the Owyhee, one of many groups that Protect the is a part of Owyhee. “It has some of the darkest night skies and it’s special.”

Davis grew up in Nyssa and the Owyhees became his backyard recreation area. He told us that there have been discussions about building protections in the Owyhee Canyonlands in Oregon for about 30 years, with the Idaho side implementing this in 2009 with the Owyhee Initiative.

“We have pushed to prevent large-scale mining activity,” Davis said. “That would hinder access and also hinder pasture access.”

In 2019, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden began working with conservationists, recreationists, outfitters, the tribes and ranchers to find a solution that everyone could agree on. Wyden introduced the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, which would designate more than a million acres as wilderness.

“This bill has been introduced three times in three different sessions of Congress,” Davis said. “Right now they are working on putting together a land package in D.C., with the Owyhee bill being an important part of that.”

Earlier this spring I met with the Protect the Owyhee group in Succor Creek. They are also seeking designation as a national monument while the legislative process is underway.

“We’re still pushing Senator Wyden if we can’t get this bill passed,” Davis said. “A national monument could be a good way to get this conversation to a good point and accomplish much of what is envisioned in his bill.”

The biggest questions I had about the Owyhee Canyonlands and Wilderness designation revolved around what would happen to access and grazing for ranchers, one of the most important industries in Malheur County.

Grazing would be protected, as would access for hiking, camping and overland driving on the current roads. Davis doesn’t want to change anything in this area, he just wants protections to protect a major industrial development.

“It’s a special, remote landscape and a place where you can find a lot of solitude,” Davis said. “Let’s try to keep it that way.”

Oregon Rep. Cliff Bentz also introduced a bill in the House of Representatives called the Oregon Owyhee Wilderness and Community Protection Act. This did not go down well with conservation groups, who called it a political ploy.