Two Oregon democratic senators, Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, are proposing to establish the Sutton Mountain National Monument on thousands of acres of public lands. The monument would encompass Sutton Mountain and other popular recreational areas.
The Painted Hills are already a part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, but the proposed 66,000-acre monument would protect an even larger area surrounding the Painted Hills.
The Sutton Mountain and Painted Hills Area Wildfire Resiliency, Preservation and Economic Enhancement Act would continue to allow livestock grazing, as it is “important to the economy, culture and heritage of Wheeler County,” according to the senators. In addition, the monument designation would authorize local land exchanges to consolidate public lands ownership, and 1,300 acres would be conveyed to the city of Mitchell for recreation and local development.
All land inside the monument would be permanently withdrawn from new mining claims. The designation would also require the development of a wildfire risk assessment and a comprehensive monument management plan that includes wildfire mitigation and transportation management components.
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) was one of several organizations to support the legislation. “I applaud Senator Merkley for his engagement with the local community and the public on this bill to ensure that hunters and anglers can continue access to this rugged country and to ensure the fish and wildlife that depend on this area continue to have the healthy habitat they need to thrive,” said Michael O’Casey, TRCP Oregon field representative, of the partnership.
Oregon currently has four national monuments: John Day Fossil Beds, Oregon Caves, Newberry National Volcanic Monument and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.— Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
