Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands Need Protection

The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted a written statement to the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining expressing support for the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act. The bill, which was the subject of a Dec. 1, 2022 hearing, would protect the Owyhee Canyonlands in southeastern Oregon, return land to the Burns Paiute Tribe, and support local economic development, among other benefits.

The Owyhee is home to more than 200 species of wildlife and has some of the darkest skies in the Lower 48 because of its remote location. For decades, Oregonians from throughout the state have been working together to protect this exceptional area.