Capital Press: Editorial: Nuance can't replace 'yes' or 'no' on national monument

Editorial: Nuance can't replace 'yes' or 'no' on national monument

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, responding to questions from Rep. Greg Walden during hearings March 1, said she’s unaware of any active plan in the administration to designate an Owyhee Canyonlands national monument.

That’s good news, as far as it goes.

Backed by the Oregon Natural Desert Association, the proposed Owyhee Canyonlands wilderness and conservation area would cover 40 percent of Oregon’s Malheur County — about 2.5 million acres of what is now controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.

Residents believe designation would be accompanied by restrictions and regulations that would prohibit or severely complicate grazing, mining, hunting and recreation.

While proponents say traditional uses of the land will be allowed, a local group called Citizens in Opposition to the Owyhee Canyonlands Monument does not believe them.

There’s quite a bit of opposition to the plan in Eastern Oregon. A lot of people see it as another example of the federal government putting the desires of distant special interests ahead of the local community.

While supporters are well organized, have money, have a website, have drawn up maps and detailed proposals, Jewell downplayed it during her testimony.

“It’s been kicking around, it’s one of the things people have recommended to us,” Jewell said.

But she said the Interior Department, which includes the BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has held no community meetings or discussions about the idea.

“People haven’t been actively in my office asking about it,” Jewell said.

Walden asked if there has been any coordination between the White House and Department of Interior on the issue.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Jewell replied.

You would think that she would know. But forgive us for not taking this as the last word on the subject from an administration that has raised nuance to an art form.

With 10 months and change left in President Obama’s tenure, there’s plenty of time for the plan to move forward.

While the administration has previously said it would work collaboratively with Congress, local interests and elected officials in making such designations, because the land in question is already owned by the federal government the Antiquities Act of 1906 requires only that Obama pick up his pen and proclaim it so. No fuss, no muss.

In February he designated three such monuments in the California desert covering almost 1.8 million acres.

The fear on the ground is that the White House will play coy, carefully denying what is not true, not addressing what is true. Then, somewhere after the election and before Jan. 20 the deal will be done.

Walden said the angst many rural westerners feel over government management of public lands and federal overreach would be made worse by such a declaration. We agree.

The president and his representatives should just say no. Absent that, they should honestly telegraph their intentions and engage in an honest debate with the people of Malheur County and the West.