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The Center for Western Priorities has released the latest film in our Road to 30: Postcards campaign featuring the Owyhee Canyonlands in southeast Oregon. Covering millions of acres of sagebrush, river canyons, and geologic wonders, the Owyhee Canyonlands is the largest conservation opportunity in the American West. The vast, intact ecosystem is home to hundreds of bird species, mule deer, pronghorn, lizards and reptiles, and myriad plants and insects. Due to its remoteness, it boasts some of the darkest night skies in the lower 48. The region is the ancestral homeland of the Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone peoples.
Efforts to permanently protect the Owyhee Canyonlands from the threats of industrial development and climate change have been underway for decades. Lawmakers have repeatedly crafted and introduced legislation to provide greater protections for the region. Despite strong and broad-based support on the ground, their efforts have been stymied by congressional gridlock. The Protect the Owyhee Canyonlands campaign is calling on President Joe Biden to work with Oregon’s U.S. senators to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate a national monument if Congress once again fails to enact their legislation.
The film features Wilson Wewa, a Northern Paiute elder and traditional knowledge keeper, Julie Weikel, a retired large animal veterinarian and longtime Owyhee advocate, Karly Foster, Owyhee Campaign Manager with the Oregon Natural Desert Association, and Tim Davis, the founder and executive director of the Friends of the Owyhee. Each speaker shares their connection to this landscape and what makes it the greatest conservation opportunity in the country.
Inside the Foundation for America's Public Lands
In the latest episode of CWP's podcast, The Landscape, Kate talks with I Ling Thompson, CEO of The Foundation for America’s Public Lands. The Foundation is the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management. Its job is to engage with local communities and the public on behalf of the agency. Thompson discusses the challenges the BLM faces and how the Foundation plans to help, as well as how members of the public can engage with the Foundation.
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When we get involved in endeavors to protect places like this, it means a lot to us because we're not only protecting the scenic quality of the land, we're protecting our homeland.”
