For Immediate Release

Aug. 1, 2024

Contact: 

Zoe Bommarito, Trout Unlimted, [email protected], 517-604-1844

Mary Jo Brooks, National Wildlife Federation, [email protected], 303-549-8351

Thomas Plank, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, [email protected], 303-720-0111

Portland, Ore. – The National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers have launched an aggressive ad campaign to highlight the urgent need for the designation of the Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument. The sporting and conservation groups are calling on Senator Ron Wyden to support such a designation so that the fish and wildlife, and the abundant hunting and fishing opportunities of the Owyhee Canyonlands can thrive for generations to come. 

“The sporting values of the Owyhee Canyonlands are immense and the conservation needs are clear. Hunters and anglers aren’t willing to sit around any longer waiting for Congress to act,” said Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation. “We hope that Sen. Wyden will join the majority of Oregonians who have signaled they want immediate protections for the Owyhee Canyonlands. The time to act is now.”  

“An Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument designation is a great opportunity to balance the multiple land uses taking place in the region. Oregonians overwhelmingly support better protections for this one-of-a-kind landscape,” said Michael Gibson, southeast Oregon field coordinator at Trout Unlimited. “While we support the great work of Senator Wyden to bring together stakeholders and craft a bill to protect the Owyhee, this landscape needs protection now. A national monument would allow hunters, anglers, ranchers, and all those who recreate here an opportunity to balance protections for fish and wildlife habitat while allowing grazing to continue.” 

“The public lands and waters of the Owyhee Canyonlands provide intact habitat for fish and wildlife at a scale that is invaluable to sportsmen and women,” said Kaden McArthur, government relations manager at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “It is time to take action and ensure this wild landscape is permanently conserved. We are asking Senator Wyden, who has long advocated for the conservation of this region, to join us in supporting a national monument designation which would protect the fish and wildlife resources of the Owyhee Canyonlands while reflecting the interests of hunters, anglers, and other stakeholders.” 

The advertising campaign launched with a full-page ad in the Washington Post, and continued with billboards in Portland and Bend, as well as radio and podcast advertising throughout Oregon. 

The Owyhee Canyonlands is the largest conservation opportunity remaining in the lower 48. North America is rapidly losing intact landscapes like the Owyhee that fish and wildlife depend on to survive, which is why protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands before it is too late is a top priority for the coalition.  

Senator Wyden has been a strong leader on this issue. Over his decades of work, the Senator has promised to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands through legislation, as threats of industrial development, climate change, and unmanaged recreation grow. Since Congressional action now appears impossible, the coalition is looking to the Senator to support a national monument designation.  

Visit huntfishowyhee.org to learn more.