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Yesterday, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced new legislation to protect an area surrounding Central Oregon's Painted Hills as part of a new Sutton Mountain National Monument. The monument, which has previously been the center of efforts to create a federal wilderness, would include several popular recreation sites.
The monument designation would prevent future mining claims within the boundary, while promoting management to reduce fire risk, increase recreational access, and allow continued livestock grazing. Senator Merkley said, “With this legislation, we’ll make sure the public will be able to experience some of Oregon’s most incredible landmarks for generations to come, while also creating jobs and economic opportunities in the county right now.”
Research has found that national monuments are beneficial to local economies and often increase the number of businesses and jobs in nearby communities. Another study of 17 Western national monuments found that local economies expanded following monument designation, and found growth in economic indicators such as population, employment, personal income, and per-capita income.
At the same time, protecting America's special places is incredibly popular. 86% of voters in the United States support President Biden's bold conservation goal of protecting 30% of America's lands and waters by 2030. 84% of Westerners support creating new protected areas such as national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, and tribal protected areas, while 77% of Westerners support restoring national monument protections to lands in the West. Many national monuments have become the country’s most celebrated national parks, including Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Acadia, and Olympic National Parks.
The time to protect more lands is now, and there are awe-inspiring outdoor places worthy of further protection all over the country. Some of those iconic landscapes include the Castner Range, Owyhee Canyonlands, and Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain), along with Sutton Mountain near Central Oregon's Painted Hills.
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At this point, why have any financial assurances at all? Why not just buy them each a pony and call it a day?... [The commission should] take this second draft and throw it in a lake of fire.”
