The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released an amendment to designate over 400,000 acres of federal land in southeastern Oregon as having “wilderness characteristics.”
The Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan Amendment would protect more land from off-highway use and also review grazing practices in the area.
The planning area encompasses approximately 4.6 million acres for the Malheur Field Office of the Vale District BLM. Under the proposed amendment, 417,190 acres would be prioritized due to its wilderness characteristics, and 319,501 acres would be limited from off-highway vehicle use to only existing routes.
BLM contends grazing permits would not be affected by the wilderness characteristics, and the limits on off-highway vehicles would not affect ranchers with permits. However, if grazing is found to be harming rangeland standards, then grazing permits would be adjusted.
A protest period over the amendment closed on July 17.
