Oregonians from all corners of the state are calling for protection of the Owyhee Canyonlands.
Senators, you are champions of the Owyhee, having repeatedly introduced legislation that would guarantee permanent protection.
The Owyhee cannot wait any longer.
Only 5% of the Owyhee Canyonlands is permanently protected, and the threats of industrial development and climate change are clawing at its edges.
If Congress won’t act, then we’re urging you to work together to establish an Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument before the end of 2024.
Only permanent protection can secure the future of the Owyhee for generations to come. That is why many conservationists, hunters, recreationists, tribal members, and others are joining together in support of an Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument.
Let’s seize this opportunity to protect an iconic natural treasure — before it’s too late.
Owyhee Canyonlands is a place like no other, with millions of acres of deep, rugged canyons, rolling sagebrush grasslands, and rushing rivers.
Photo: Devin Dahlgren
The Owyhee is home to some of the darkest night skies in the country.
Photo: John Aylward
Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands is the largest conservation opportunity in the American West.
Photo: Devin Dahlgren
Oregon has already lost 200,000 football fields’ worth of open land to development and other human factors.
Photo: Tyson Fisher
Oregon ranks near last among other Western states in terms of public land protected in the last decade.
Photo: Tyson Fisher
Nearly 80% of Oregonians want the Owyhee Canyonlands protected. What are we waiting for?
Photo: John Aylward
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 6, 2023 CONTACT Owyhee@WeAreRALLY.com Campaign calls on President Joe Biden to work with Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley to permanently protect Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands Ontario, OR — A new campaign, Protect the Owyhee Canyonlands, launched today calling for the Owyhee’s permanent protection before the end of 2024. Founding campaign […]
The Owyhee Canyonlands is a place that radiates with magic. Here, ancient lava rock erodes into honeycombs and lush sagebrush blooms from gnarled branches. Rattlesnakes, badgers, grouse and antelope thrive in the unforgiving landscape, often hidden away from human eyes. Hiking, boating or driving through this landscape is a humbling experience. Towering cathedrals of red rock rise triumphantly from the earth, either dwarfing the humans who stand beneath them or fascinating us with their many forms: spires like fingers emerging from the ground, sheer cliff walls, great blobs of eroded mountains.
The Owyhee Canyonlands, a 2.5-million-acre expanse of unprotected wilderness, needs federal recognition. Within its boundaries, there are hundreds of species that depend on the canyonlands, ranging from golden eagles to the greatly beloved sage grouse. Not only does it provide a home to more than 200 species of fish and wildlife, it also supports numerous endemic plant species, some of which are found nowhere else on this planet.
Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley’s Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act would protect more than 1 million acres of what’s often called “Oregon’s Grand Canyon” from wildfire and degradation. The legislation would permanently protect more than 1.1 million acres of federal public lands in the Owyhee Canyonlands and a 15-mile stretch of the Owyhee River. It would also transfer 30,000 acres of federal and private land into a trust overseen by the Burns Paiute Tribe.
If you want to get away and really get away, you might try escaping to Owyhee. Located along the Owyhee River on the far eastern side of Oregon, the Owyhee Canyonlands is a remote high desert getaway with places to hike, boat, fish and explore. Even the drive is incredible. On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk all things Owyhee, giving a primer on exploring the far-flung destination.
Together, we can secure the future of the Owyhee Canyonlands — before it’s too late.