Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act

Bill: 118-s-1890
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2023-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Ecology
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Fires
Forests, forestry, trees
Hunting and fishing
Indian lands and resources rights
Intergovernmental relations
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations
Livestock
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Public-private cooperation
Roads and highways
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2023-06-08
text: 

Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act

This bill authorizes a grazing management program, designates wilderness areas, and holds land in trust for the Burns Paiute Tribe in Malheur County, Oregon.

Specifically, the Department of the Interior may carry out a grazing management program on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Malheur County to provide increased operational flexibility to grazing permittees and lessees to improve the long-term ecological health of the land. Interior must adopt cooperative rangeland monitoring plans and rangeland health objectives and monitor and evaluate the ecological health of the land.

The bill requires the Malheur C.E.O. Group to assist in carrying out this bill and establishes requirements for membership of the group. The group is directed to propose and support implementation of projects on BLM land, including ecological restoration, rangeland improvement, invasive species management, conservation of cultural sites, economic development, or recreation management.

The bill designates various wilderness areas, including the Mary Gautreaux Owyhee River Canyon Wilderness and the Upper West Little Owyhee Wilderness.

The Department of Transportation (DOT), in coordination with Interior and the county, must work with the Oregon Tourism Commission (Travel Oregon) to establish certain loop roads. DOT must seek to arrange with the county to fund safety upgrades to the Owyhee Dam Road.

Further, the bill requires Interior to take land into trust on behalf of the Burns Paiute Tribe and establish a Castle Rock Co-Stewardship Area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2024-12-24
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2024-12-24
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2024-12-23
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2024-12-20
text: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S7288-7297; text: CR S7292-7297)
action_date: 2024-12-20
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2024-09-10
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 501.
action_date: 2024-09-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 118-222.
action_date: 2024-09-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 118-222.
action_date: 2023-12-14
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2023-07-12
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 118-285.
action_date: 2023-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2023-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate