“The Antiquities Act has a long history of being used to protect America’s most cherished landscapes”

Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Oregon governor asks Biden to protect Owyhee Canyonlands
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Thursday, August 22, 2024
The Owyhee is home to some of the darkest night skies in the country. Photo: John Aylward/Protect the Owyhee ([link removed])

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is asking President Joe Biden to designate a national monument protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands ([link removed]) if Congress fails to act this year. Kotek sent a letter to the White House this week, joining local Tribes and conservation groups that have been pressing for permanent protections for the area.

“Permanent safeguards will protect the Owyhee Canyonlands against the growing threats of development, extraction, and other detrimental activities and, most importantly, will pay endless dividends for generations to come,” Kotek wrote ([link removed]) .

The governor also supports a bill ([link removed]) sponsored by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley that would establish 1.1 million acres of wilderness in the Owyhee while also allowing flexibility for ranching. The Wyden/Merkley bill has passed out of committee but not reached the Senate floor, and it faces uncertain prospects in the House. National monument advocates have also called for continued grazing inside the proposed Owyhee monument.

Kotek acknowledged the possibility of a legislative dead end in her letter. “In the event that Congress does not pass legislation this year, I ask that President Biden designate the Owyhee Canyonlands as a national monument under the Antiquities Act," she said.

Advocates for the Owyhee welcomed the governor's support. “The Owyhee faces real and growing threats, so there’s an urgency that Governor Kotek recognizes," said Ryan Houston ([link removed]) , executive director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association. "We hope Senators Wyden and Merkley also recognize that urgency.”

Learn more about the region at Protect the Owyhee ([link removed]) or watch CWP's Road to 30 Postcard ([link removed]) from the Owyhee Canyonlands.


** Quick hits
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Opinion: It's time to permanently protect the Great Bend of the Gila

Tucson Sentinel ([link removed])

Column: Maine strikes a new stance on national monuments

Times Record ([link removed])

Court temporarily blocks lithium exploration near sacred Hualapai spring

Associated Press ([link removed]) | Arizona Mirror ([link removed])

Utah makes high stakes gamble in “extraordinary” SCOTUS case

Bloomberg Law ([link removed])

Wyoming governor considers helping Utah try to seize national public land

Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])

Environmentalists raise alarms as Colorado water district seeks to preserve an old unused water right

Colorado Sun ([link removed])

After visiting every national park, Outside writer picks her favorite

Outside ([link removed])

3 pups caught on camera confirmed to be part of Colorado's first introduced wolf pack

Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | CPR News ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | 9News ([link removed]) | Axios ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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” The Antiquities Act has a long history of being used to protect America’s most cherished landscapes, from the Grand Canyon to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument here in Oregon.”

—Oregon Governor Tina Kotek ([link removed])


** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
On this day 151 years ago, Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon, was lit for the very first time.

Standing 93 feet tall, the lighthouse has served as a bright beacon of the night, guiding ships and their crews along the West Coast for more than a century.

Head out to Oregon on your next adventure to explore the tidepools, observe wildlife, and tour the state's tallest lighthouse.

📷 Sunset at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Oregon; Steve Walser

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