Kotek asks Biden to designate Owyhee Canyonlands as national monument

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is seeking federal protections of the Owyhee Canyonlands, sending a letter to President Joe Biden and Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley in early August, urging them to take action.

In the letter, sent Aug. 5, the governor voiced her support for the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act (S. 1890), which was introduced by Sen. Wyden. The bill would authorize a grazing management program, designate wilderness areas, and hold land in trust for the Burns Paiute Tribe.

In the event legislation isn't passed to protect the land, the governor asked the president to designate the canyonlands as a national monument.

“The Owyhee Canyonlands in Oregon are a national treasure, home to a rich diversity of wildlife, stunning geological features, and culturally significant sites that reflect the deep history and heritage of the area. I write to urge the federal government to permanently protect this unique and ecologically significant region in Oregon,” Kotek wrote.

The governor pointed to the Malheur CEO Act as a "collaborative approach" to protecting the land while supporting local communities that rely on the land for their livelihoods.

"It is notable that S. 1890 has earned the support of an uncommonly diverse coalition of allies. Tribes with ancestral lands there, environmental and conservation organizations, and a representation of ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts and business owners have negotiated in good faith to build consensus rather than allowing differences to hinder progress. It is a model of collaboration to be celebrated,” Kotek said.

The governor also highlighted the ways a national monument designation would add permanent protections for the land.

“Permanent safeguards will protect the Owyhee Canyonlands against the growing threats of development, extraction, and other detrimental activities and, most, importantly, will pay endless dividends for generations to come,” Kotek wrote. “By securing this designation, you will collectively send a powerful message that people from different perspectives and ideological persuasions can still come together to accomplish great feats.”

According to the Protect the Owyhee Canyonlands campaign, a majority of Oregonians -- across party lines -- support a national monument designation.

The campaign cited a poll released in May by Expedition Strategies for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, which found 73% of Oregonians support the national monument designation.

This included 95% support from surveyed Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 40% of Republicans, according to the poll, which also found 58% support from eastern Oregon residents.

The push by Kotek comes after Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-02) -- whose district includes Malheur County -- added an amendment to an Interior Department appropriations bill for the 2025 fiscal year, which seeks to prohibit the creation of any national monuments in Malheur County.

So far, the appropriations bill passed the House and is moving to the Senate for consideration.

The amendment is the latest in an ongoing battle between local activists calling for land protections and those defending neighboring cattle ranches and the area's gold mining potential, as reported by OPB.

During a July House floor speech introducing his amendment, Bentz said “Back in 2015, a small group of mostly urban activists funded by recreational sportswear companies tried to convince the Obama Administration that it should use the Antiquities Act to abruptly impose a national monument designation on 2.5 million acres of the 6.3 million acres making up Malheur County... That’s about 40% of the county’s entire area.”

He furthered "Such as designation will attract tens of thousands of people to this fragile area, resulting in the destruction of the very thing a monument designation would purport to protect."

As previously reported by KOIN 6 News, Bentz’s efforts to prevent the designation of a national monument in Malheur County would not stop the Malheur CEO Act from establishing added protections.