Oregon Owyhee Canyon lands. Photo credit: Oregon BLM
Malheur County Wilderness.pdf6.61 MBIn the remote wild country of far southeastern Oregon lies a land created by volcanoes, wind, and water. It is a magnificent area with an abundance of bighorn sheep, wild horses, sage grouse, and other important desert species in a landscape comparable to Smith Rocks State Park on a much grander scale.
Senate Bill 1890 would create 1.1 million acres of new wilderness in Oregon - a massive accomplishment if it becomes law. The southeast corner of Oregon would be preserved as a natural landscape for generations to come allowing for wilderness rafting, hiking, and wildlife viewing activities in this magnificent landscape.
The Juniper Group of the Sierra Club is working with partner conservation organizations to assess the details of this legislation. Grazing activities would continue. Some wilderness study areas would be released from the temporary protection afforded to desert wild areas. A wilderness study area of great importance to the Burns Paiute tribe would be transferred as a land trust to the tribe protecting an area of great importance to their people.
Of particular concern to Sierra Club activists is the creation of a local advisory board for the Bureau of Land Management in Malheur County that would be influential in implementing this legislation should it become law. Grazing practices on many BLM managed lands do not protect the fragile ecology of streams and uplands as the impact of climate change affects the ecology of the landscape. At the same time, this is real legislation before the Congress that could protect vast areas from industry activities that further degrade a wild part of this great state.
A map is attached that provides a snapshot of the tremendous impact of this impact on this remote corner of Oregon. If you want more information about this bill, contact: Kelly Smith at kayakkelsc@gmail.com