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A new poll finds a strong majority of Oregon voters support President Biden protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands region as a national monument. The Expedition Strategies poll of 800 Oregon voters found that 73 percent support the national monument proposal, including 95 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of independents, and 40 percent of Republicans.
The pollsters also oversampled voters in politically conservative eastern Oregon, which is home to the Owyhee Canyonlands. 58 percent of those eastern Oregon voters support the proposed monument.
The poll also found that two thirds of Oregon voters would have a more favorable view of Oregon's senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, if they supported the monument plan.
“Oregonians want to see the Owyhee protected and recognize that there is no time to lose,” said Lindsey Scholten, executive director of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, which sponsored the poll. “These numbers make it clear that Senators Wyden and Merkley have the overwhelming support of Oregonians to call on President Biden to protect the Owyhee.”
Earlier this week, the Idaho Statesman noted that the Owyhees are already seeing increased visitation during the spring and summer. With legislation to protect the area stalled in Congress, the locally-led coalition backing the monument proposal is encouraging President Biden to invoke the Antiquities Act to designate the national monument, which would contribute significantly to the national "30x30" goal of protecting 30 percent of America's lands and waters by the end of the decade.
Learn more about the Owyhee Canyonlands in CWP's Road to 30: Postcards multimedia series.
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There is no place that a child could be safe from predators, pedophiles, from so much abuse, strappings, rippings, beatings, putting in dark closets, wearing a dunce cap in the front of the classroom, running the gauntlets. There is no place to get away from any of what we were experiencing.”
