Oregon鈥檚 U.S. senators have proposed a new national monument at Sutton Mountain near Central Oregon鈥檚 Painted Hills.
Sutton Mountain stands in the backdrop of the iconic view overlooking the autumnal hues of the Painted Hills. The hills themselves are already featured as one of three distinct units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Oregon Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden on Wednesday announced legislation to protect an even larger area surrounding the Painted Hills as part of a new Sutton Mountain National Monument.
鈥淲ith this legislation, we鈥檒l make sure the public will be able to experience some of Oregon鈥檚 most incredible landmarks for generations to come, while also creating jobs and economic opportunities in the county right now,鈥� Merkley said in a press release.
The 66,000-acre monument would include Sutton Mountain itself along with several popular recreation sites like Pats Cabin, Sand Mountain and Priest Hole.
The area has long been a target for conservation. Thousands of acres are already protected as , which are places identified by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as having wilderness characteristics eligible for further protection.
The Bend-based Oregon Natural Desert Association has long . The region provides habitat for a wide array of plant and animal life, including herds of pronghorn, elk and mule deer.
鈥淢any folks don鈥檛 know what it鈥檚 named or what it鈥檚 all about,鈥� said ONDA executive director Ryan Houston, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 a pretty unique feature out there and it鈥檚 a pretty wonderful place to explore.鈥�
Past attempts to create a federal wilderness at Sutton Mountain in and have in . This latest effort takes a different approach by proposing it as a national monument.
A monument designation at Sutton Mountain would block future mining claims within the monument boundary. It would also require a management plan to reduce fire risk and promote recreational access, among other priorities. Ranchers would be able to continue grazing livestock within the monument.
According to Merkley鈥檚 press release, the proposal has the support of several conservation groups as well as the city of Mitchell, which has seen economic benefits from Painted Hills tourism and .
Oregon has four national monuments: the John Day Fossil Beds, Oregon Caves, Newberry National Volcanic Monument and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
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