Endless rolling golden hills, expansive plains, deep rugged canyons, snow-dusted mountains and jagged spires of reddish rock – the Owyhee Canyonlands in Southeastern Oregon is wild, vast, and heartbreakingly beautiful. It is also increasingly under threat as development, overpopulation, mining interests, wildfire, and drought put pressure on the landscape. Luckily, it has many fierce defenders. In 2019 an unlikely coalition of tribal leaders, hunters, recreationists, ranchers, environmentalists, business owners, Republicans and Democrats came together to craft the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act (S.2828). Soon Senator Wyden will introduce the bill in Congress in the hopes that the Owyhee will finally get the federal protection it deserves.
In May we spent a week in the Owyhee interviewing members of this coalition. The six videos that came out of this project will be used by various groups to promote the bill and Guardians of the Owyhee will be screened at Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival in October. The videos can be found alongside an accompanying article in Means and Matters, Bank of the West’s online publication about finance and sustainability. Thanks to all the people who let us into their lives and shared their passion for the Owyhee!