A wave of environmental organizations is persuading President Joe Biden to use the Antiquities Act to create national monuments as he steps down. Adding protection to public lands to prevent theft of Native American artifacts was the initial goal of the Antiquities Act. Today, conservationists utilize this act, which was passed into law in 1906, to save public lands.
A similar attempt was attempted to persuade President Barack Obama to create an Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument under the Antiquities Act after he left office. While in office, he failed to safeguard the Owyhee Canyonlands despite designating 29 national monuments, such as Bears Ears, Gold Butte, Basin and Range, and Berryessa National Monuments.
We operate five-day rafting tours in the Owyhee Canyonlands, and I loved the notion of saving this location, so near the end of President Obama’s term, I flew to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the Owyhee Canyonlands. I found out that Oregon’s congressional delegation was not providing adequate assistance after speaking with officials of President Obama’s administration and congressional staffers. This caught me off guard, and additional investigation revealed that the local Owyhee River residents at the time were fiercely against a national monument.
Over the course of the following few years, I came to the conclusion that it was the appropriate choice to not declare the Owyhee River Canyonlands a national monument. Against the wishes of the local residents, we were requesting that President Obama set aside public lands. I believe that Oregonians’ representatives, U.S. Representative Greg Walden and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, were sensitive to their wishes.
Southeast Oregon residents are not opposed to preserving the Owyhee River Canyonlands. They adore, value, and respect the Owyhee, which is located in their backyard. They want legislation to safeguard it under the Wilderness Act, which calls for intense discussion and consideration of the interests of all parties.
This is what happened during the end of President Obama’s administration. Despite the wishes of the locals, individuals who do not reside in Southeast Oregon are vigorously advocating for a national monument. The campaign for a national monument in 2016 caused a rift between Southeast Oregon residents and conservationists. People who lived close to the Owyhee stopped trusting and respecting conservationists, which made it more harder to push toward a wilderness designation in the years that followed.
I believe that the best way to safeguard the Owyhee River corridor is to designate it as a wilderness. There are four additional rivers that are comparable to the Owyhee River where I work as an outfitter. They all pass through the woods, and I can confirm that the Owyhee River is no different. Unlike national monuments, which just need the president’s signature, wilderness designations require an act of Congress, which is far more difficult to obtain. I firmly believe that although it is more difficult to achieve a wilderness designation, it is the right thing to do.
There is cause for greater optimism on wilderness laws. Sen. Wyden sMalheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Actincludes the Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon Wilderness in honor of a woman deeply committed to protecting the Owyhee River. Locals, business owners, and the conservation community all contributed to the writing of this bill. U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz represents Eastern Oregon and is also advocating for the Owyhee River with a similar bill in the House. We now have bicameral and bipartisan support for wilderness legislation for the Owyhee River.
I fear that by pushing for a national monument, the conservation community is once again losing the trust of those who live in Southeast Oregon. We made this mistake in 2016, and I don t want to make it again. Sen. Wyden has been dedicated to protecting the Owyhee River, and I humbly ask the conservation community to follow his lead and put our time and energy behind his efforts toward permanent legislative protection for the Owyhee River Canyonlands.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
