Hello John,
In a few hours, lawmakers in the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee are scheduled for a hearing about the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act (S.1890), a bill co-introduced by our US Senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, that would protect the Owyhee Canyonlands. Help us preserve this geologic masterpiece today by thanking them for their bill. [[link removed]]
This bill would protect large expanses of wildlands in the southeastern corner of our state and the diverse wildlife, ecosystems, and resources found in the region. This is the largest opportunity available to protect lands and waters in the contiguous US, and I hope you’ll join us in our efforts to permanently protect the Owyhee Canyonlands.
Thank you.
Jane Kwon
Communications Coordinator, OLCV
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Dear John,
Have you heard of the Owyhee (ow·wai·hee)? This wild and rugged part of Southeast Oregon–called the Grand Canyon of Oregon for its deep canyons–is unforgettable and truly worth protecting. Join us in thanking our US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, who are working to do just that. [[link removed]]
The Owyhee Canyonlands are a national and Oregon treasure that have been 17 million years in the making. With more than 2.5 million acres of wilderness-quality lands, it features deep, rugged canyons and miles upon miles of rolling sagebrush grasslands, supports a diversity of wildlife, and preserves some of the darkest night skies in the country. It also contains sacred lands and cultural resources significant for the indigenous Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone tribes. The surrounding landscapes, rivers, fish, and wildlife are a part of tribal traditions to this day.
The bill that Sens. Wyden and Merkley are championing would permanently protect more than one million acres of the most ecologically sensitive public lands in the Owyhee as wilderness. And, the bill would support important tribal priorities and provide for improved recreation management and economic development–all while promoting science-based management to improve the long-term economic health of these lands. It is a community-driven, Oregon-crafted solution for protecting the most important and threatened places in the region, and it's scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday.
Write to our senators right away, thanking them for their groundbreaking proposal, and urge them to do everything they can to protect one of the most remote, wild, and untouched places in the country. [[link removed]] The region has a rich cultural, geologic and natural history worthy of the highest levels of protection now and forever. We must not wait any longer to protect the Owyhee.
Thank you for all that you do,
Lindsey Scholten
Executive Director, OLCV
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Oregon League of Conservation Voters
321 SW 4th Ave Ste 600
Portland, OR 97204
United States
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