State
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
A9
Owyhee Canyonlands wilderness proposal unresolved
Local opposition
strong against
2.5 million-acre
monument
By Eric Mortenson
EO Media Group
The occupation of the
Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge may have been bro-
ken, but a divisive wilder-
ness proposal remains unre-
solved in Southeast Oregon.
The underlying issues
are familiar: anger over fed-
eral land management and
government “over-reach”
and frustration over loss of
economic opportunity in the
rural West.
The Bend-based envi-
ronmental group Oregon
Natural Desert Association,
backed by the Keen Foot-
wear company of Portland,
has proposed a 2.5-million
acre Owyhee Canyonlands
wilderness and conservation
area.
Ranchers and other Mal-
heur County residents are
dead set against it.
“Not only no, but hell
no,” prominent rancher Bob
Skinner said.
The Obama administra-
tion, which could establish
the canyonlands area by
presidential proclamation,
has given no sign what it
will do. Many people spec-
ulate the administration did
not want to throw gas on the
fire while the wildlife ref-
uge occupation was going
on.
Courtesy of wildowyhee.org
The proposed Owyhee Canyonlands wilderness
and conservation area would cover 2.5 million
acres in Southeast Oregon.
“We don’t know where
it is in the process, there’s
nobody who knows that,”
Skinner said.
The proposed area is big-
ger than the Yellowstone,
Yosemite or Grand Can-
yon national parks, critics
point out, and would cov-
er 40 percent of Malheur
County.
Residents believe the
designation would be ac-
companied by restrictions
and regulations that would
prohibit or severely compli-
cate grazing, mining, hunt-
ing and recreation.
While proponents say
traditional uses of the land
will be allowed, a local
group called Citizens in
Opposition to the Owyhee
Canyonlands
Monument
does not believe them.
Skinner, a fifth-gener-
ation rancher who leads
the opposition group, said
one faction believes ranch-
ers and other landowners
should “settle” with those
pushing for establishment
of the canyonlands.
But Skinner said agree-
ments with “radical envi-
ronmental groups” always
turn out bad. While they
say traditional land uses
such as cattle grazing could
continue, such assuranc-
es soon fall apart, Skinner
said.
“Historically, every sin-
gle solid time,” he said.
“It starts collapsing on the
uses. That’s historic, I can
tell you.”
Skinner said his contacts
among Oregon’s congres-
sional delegation and others
in Washington, D.C., indi-
cate Obama will establish
the wilderness and conser-
vation area under the An-
tiquities Act, which can be
done by presidential order
and does not require ap-
proval of Congress.
A White House media
staffer said the administra-
tion has “no announcement
to make at this time” and
did not respond to detailed
questions.
Jessica Kershaw, senior
adviser and press secretary
with the Department of In-
terior, said in an email that
the department has not made
a recommendation to the
White House, “but we know
that this is an important is-
sue to many, and we will
carefully consider all input
about how to best manage
these lands for current and
future generations.”
Brent Fenty, executive
director of the Oregon Nat-
ural Desert Association, did
not respond to a telephone
call and email seeking com-
ment.
A press secretary for U.S.
Rep. Greg Walden, who rep-
resents Eastern Oregon in
Congress, said Walden has
repeatedly called upon the
administration to say what
it plans to do.
Early in the wildlife ref-
uge occupation, Walden said
Obama could ease some of
the tension by backing away
from the canyonlands pro-
posal.
“If they don’t plan to do
it, they should just come out
and say so,” press secretary
Andrew Malcolm said in an
email.
Skinner, the rancher,
consistently distances his
cause from the case made
by the refuge occupiers.
“I don’t agree with the
Bundys at all, period,” he
said. “I don’t agree with
their methods, especially
with grazing issues. But no-
body can help but say, ‘I can
understand.’
“Greg Walden said it:
You understand why peo-
ple have reached the end
of their rope. That’s why
they’ve got followers.”
MyEagleNews.com
Michael B. DesJardin
Dentistry, PC
MEET YOUR LOCAL DENTIST DR. KENT CHERRY
ADVANTAGE DENTAL CLINICS
Advantage Dental Group, PC
750 West Main
John Day, OR 97845
888-468-0022 ext. 61863
www.AdvantageDentalClinics.com
Preventive, Restorative & Endodontics
New Patients
Welcome!
208 NW Canton
John Day
541-575-2725
mbddental@live.com
michaelbdesjardindmd.com
Emergencies, most Insurance Plans and Oregon Health Plan Patients are all
welcome.Some level of treatment inancing is available to everyone.
Angus and Hereford Bulls
3 3
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Maag Angus Ranch Headquarters, Vale, Oregon
͞ 3 ͜͜3 3
3333ǯ33
333333
3335Ǥ
333636
ǡ38936ǡ3
339ǡ3693538ǡ343934ǡ3
335
33Ǩ
• Complete Fertility Testing, Including a Negative Trich Test and Tag.
• All Bulls Tested BVD PI Free.
• Free Feed for 1 month after the sale.
• Bulls Fed A High-Roughage Ration to Grow NOT Get Fat.
• Large Sire Groups with many Full and 3/4 Brothers.
• 1st Breeding Season Guarantee.
• Videos of all Bull Lots at
For More Information or a Catalog Contact Any One of Us
Bob & Maryann Maag (541) 473-2108 • Terry & Susan Oft (541) 889-6801
• Jason & Deanne Vallad (541) 889-4562
Or Visit Us on the Worldwide Web at www.maagangus.com