The Oregon Natural Desert Association will host a virtual talk about the Owyhee Canyonlands on Thursday.

This coming Presidents Day, as I reflect on all of those who have held our land’s highest office, I am inspired by the legacy of conservation set by so many, from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama to President Biden, our most recent conservation champion. At the same time, I wish that more presidents would have prioritized the health of our planet. President Biden has the chance to make history when it comes to protecting our beautiful country, and I am rooting for him to make big strides in the remainder of this term. In fact, one of his greatest opportunities is here in Oregon.

President Biden can come through on his promise to conserve at least 30% of America’s land, ocean areas, and inland waters by the year 2030 by designating a national monument in Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands.

During his first three years in office, Biden safeguarded public lands at a record rate, but there is still more to be done. In Oregon — and across the country and world — we are feeling the impacts of generations of extraction, destruction, and pollution of our natural spaces, from fires to floods to extreme heat to extreme cold. Conserving intact, open land and water — and allowing native plants and animals to thrive — is critical to reducing the negative effects of climate change.

As one of the largest areas of unprotected land in the American West by acreage, the Owyhee Canyonlands represents one of the country’s best opportunities to reach the Administration’s goal of conserving 30% of U.S. lands and freshwater. For those of us who have experienced the Owyhee for ourselves, we know that its deep rugged canyons, rolling sagebrush grasslands, rushing rivers, and awe-inspiring vistas are one–of–a-kind treasures, worthy of the highest levels of protection.

This is not just about an abstract conservation goal: the threats of industrial development, unmanaged recreation, climate change, and more are aggressively clawing at the Owyhee’s edges, and we are already seeing the damage. And across Oregon, our wildlands are quickly disappearing — over the past two decades, Oregon has lost the equivalent of nearly 200,000 football fields of natural area. Since President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law in 1906, 18 Presidents — nine Republicans and nine Democrats — have used the authority granted by the act to safeguard public lands, oceans, and historic sites and share America’s story with future generations. Now is President Biden’s time to deliver for the Owyhee.

Our Senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, have already gotten the ball rolling with their introduction of The Malheur CEO Act (S.1890), which has decades of momentum behind it. Community members, tribal leaders, local ranchers, recreationists, conservationists, and others have already done the challenging work of finding compromise and putting together a strong proposal that satisfies the multitude of needs in the region. But we know that we cannot rely on Congress to get even the most common-sense, well-supported things done. Instead of languishing in a dysfunctional Congress, the senators’ proposal can become a reality through national monument designation.

The president has this power so we can act swiftly and with urgency to protect the most precious parts of our great country. The iconic Owyhee, facing rising threats and a ticking clock, demands President Biden’s attention.

This Presidents Day, I am celebrating the legacy of conservation in our beautiful country and am grateful to have an Administration committed to our public lands. By taking action on the Owyhee Canyonlands, President Biden can safeguard more public land acres than any other modern president.

Every day, and especially today, I am urging President Biden to protect Oregon’s iconic Owyhee Canyonlands — before it’s too late.

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