This will be a little different from my normal post. This one isn't about an adventure, its about something a lot more serious. I am at a bit of a loss as to how to describe it. You see a bunch of environmentalist seem to think that the Owyhee's should be turned into a National Monument. The proposal is to take 40 percent of Malheur County, 2.5 million acres, an area bigger than Rhode Island and Maryland combined and turn it into a tourist trap.
As you are aware through the many video's that I have sent you this is a land that is currently little traveled. You may also have noticed that its all quite lovely and unspoiled. That is the siren call of the people that want to lock it up so that no one will actually be able to see it. I don't suppose that they have stopped to think that the reason that it looks that way is because the people here have taken care to make sure that it was protected, and cared for. Actually the real goal is to remove the cattle from the land. The thinking is that if there were no cattle every thing would be just great. I am afraid that thinking is seriously flawed, but so ingrained that thought processes are just stopped.
There was a ballot sent out to the residents of Malheur Co to determine whether or not we wanted a Monument designation. It was rejected 90 % to 10%. The only problem is that our population is less than any one of the big cities on the West side of the state. So the people affected by this designation will have no say in the decision.
All of the public land in the west is controlled by the Bureau of Land management. It is subject to the "Taylor Grazing Act of 1934- National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968- Endangered Species Act of 1973- Federal Land Policy and management Act of 1976- Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 as well as the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970. Besides all that bureaucracy getting in the way of getting anything done, they have no money. To the West of us is an area called Beatty's Butte. There are "Wild Horses" there. The herds are supposed to be limited to about 280 head. The BLM wasn't doing anything with them, they had no funds. They were finally forced to reduce the herds there by some 1500 horses.
The really sad part of all this is that the proposal was first put forth as a great advertising campaign by Keene Shoes of Portland Oregon. You know, hiking shoes for traveling through the pristine National Monument of the Owyhee Canyon lands. Sadly I have two pairs of those shoes. I cut the name off them and will be mailing them to the CEO with instructions. Just in case you would like to join me his address is:
Kirk Richardson
C/O Keene Footware inc.
515 N>W> 13th Ave
Portland,Or 97209
I am sure that all of you have other things that concern you, but if you get the time and inclination it would be nice if you could write, send an email to your congressman and Senator and tell him to make them leave us alone. This designation is not needed or called for.
